The New and Exciting

One thing I’ve come to see in my short time in the skydiving world is that skydivers are the ultimate live-in-the-moment creatures. This is something that I love, mostly because it’s taught me how to live in the moment more in the other aspects of my life…which, I think, makes life more enjoyable.

But of course, playing that devil’s advoate role that I love so much, we can’t forget about the other side of that, the one where we have a tendency to seek out the novel…to only really enjoy the things that are new and exciting.

On the surface, that doesn’t sound so bad, but when it comes to things like progression in the sport, being ADD (ooh, look, shiny new wingsuit, I want to try that) doesn’t bode so well for your desire to improve those freefly skills.

Think of it this way, you can’t bitch and moan about not sticking that head down when you only practice it every two months because your attention is constantly drawn to other elements of the sport. It takes practice, and determination. Muscle memory can’t be built without regular repition, so unless you’re a natural at everything you do, this tendency to trail off can harm your progression in skydiving…heck, in any sport really. For anyone who has been paying attention, can you tell this is a mini-lecture to myself?

I’ve noticed my tendency to be distracted by these shiny skydiving objects too. Going back to my first few months in the sport, freefly showed it’s pretty little face and pulled me away from RW. Then came camera flying, then wingsuiting – and it’s only been a year and a half…so you can see how this could carry out in my skydiving career. Ha!

The good thing is, when it comes to skydiving at least, no matter what you’re doing in the sky, every jump teaches you the art of manipulating the air in order to do the things you want as you’re falling toward the Earth. Each skydive gives you roughly 3,000 ft. to practice your canopy skills. The key is, taking advantage of these opportunities, by living in the moment and using every second to your advantage.

Which brings me back to my first point, that skydivers are some of the best when it comes to living in the moment. Wow, this came full circle. Not sure I started out with that plan, but that’s where it’s ended up. This was going to conclude with a life lesson, and I think it still can — one that’s geared mostly toward the skydiving community and it’s this: live in the moment, enjoy each and every second while you’re doing it, and be sure to take advantage of the time you’re given. But, don’t let your need for novelty ruin what you’ve spent so much time building.

Ohh…check that out. Maybe it’s not so skydiving focused after all. “Don’t let the need for novelty ruin what you’ve spent so much time building.” — that can apply to any aspect of life, relationships, career, sports…you name it.

Hope this was as an enlightening of a post for you as it was for me.

Love and Blue Skies!

Ashley

Good skydiver

That’s what I want to be one day…a good skydiver.

Over the weekend we headed down to Canton Air Sports – yep, the old stomping grounds – where Mark Vickers was flying the Skyvan for the weekend. Not only was I able to jump my new rig – Beer, yes, duly noted – but we were able to get some great jumps in!

After the sun set we all sat around the big screen to watch some of the bad ass freeflying that took place that day – and I have to admit, I was in awe for most of it.

There are a couple friends of ours who are brothers – Joe and Dave (hey guys!) – who are two of the sickest freeflyers I’ve seen. It’s not so much about the wicked things they’re able to do in the sky (there’s that too) but it’s how dynamic they are together. No matter what’s going on around them these two always seem to have it together, this rhythm with one another. It’s incredible to watch! Even better, they are some of the nicest people you’ll meet on the ground too.

That aside, I love watching videos with these guys, and people like them, who are such good skydivers. The greatest part is that it’s not with envy that I watch these freeflyers, it’s with admiration and sometimes complete awe. In all reality, “good” isn’t the best descriptor here, pretty f-ing phenomenal is more like it . “Good” is what I aspire to be some day!

I like to think that watching videos of those people who are incredibly proficient can only help me learn – take away some of the little body adjustments and things of that nature and apply them to my own skydiving. Of course, time in the sky (and hopefully one day soon in a tunnel) is essential, but I can’t help think that I’m soaking up a little knowledge simply by watching the best of the best.

I’m always entertained by the days where I think I’ve picked up some of the smartest tricks in the book and when I get out the door and test them out it doesn’t go quite as planned. Sky -1, Ashley -0. A good laugh is always had! But what’s even better is when I’m able to apply even the smallest trick to make my sitfly just that much better.

The learning curve in skydiving is incredible. Each and every jump I’m amazed at how much Rick and I have improved. Relativity is rarely an issue these days, and docking has become common-place. We’re spending time in the sky with people who really know their shit, and I like to think we’re able to absorb a little of that knowledge through the sky – osmosis of sorts . Now, head down is a different story – I’ve spent so much time on my feet there hasn’t been a lot of time to get proficient, and clearly I’m just not picking it up as fast as I did sit. Rick on the other hand, he sticks some mad head downs…hoping some of that can rub off on me over time!

Anyhow, enough of my rambling – here’s a few YouTube videos that prove my point. God I love watching sick freeflyers!

Gotta love the song and the pink skyvan in this last video!

Blue skies!

Ashley

Awkward…

So my blogging is going through this awkward stage right now – sort of like adolescence: I’m no longer in that giddy student phase where all I care about is getting my thoughts and excitement about skydiving down on paper (or, in Word Press, whatever), and I’m far from an expert who has any kind of authority to talk about or give advice about anything of importance.

Being in this “intermediate” phase is challenging. There are things I’d like to think I’ve become skilled enough to chat about, but then again I don’t want to go around giving advice that could end up hurting someone because it wasn’t the right advice for them.

Though I do have to say I love where I am in my skydiving career – so to speak. I’m finally starting to get it, each and every jump it’s visible that all that I’ve learned in 200+ skydives is finally starting to come together into something, even just simple docks in sitfly. It’s rewarding, to say the least. But of course, I’m no where near ready to start teaching others what they should and shouldn’t be doing in the sky. Hard to believe a D license, which is considered expert, used to require only 200 jumps.

But I still struggle with where I should be in my skydive blogging career.

Earlier this week I took a poll that helped generate a few ideas for upcoming posts, and my readers have even inspired me to do some research to get them answers on things they’re looking to learn.

I’d Rather be Skydiving

The last month I’ve been in denial that winter is coming. We’ve had just enough good jumping days to keep me (mildly) satisfied.

But given that I’ve been wearing socks this week – the true indication that summer is over – it’s about time I start preparing myself for some cold weather activities.

Unfortunately, I’m not exactly sure where to begin. Typically, my winters are spent huddled by a space heater somewhere – yeah, I’m a little bit of a freeze baby – and the rest of my free time is spent sweating it out on a yoga mat in a 80+ degree room (something that I intend to continue this year).

Needless to say, I’m seeking out a winter sport to call my own. There are multiple offers on the table to learn how to snowboard, but I wasn’t even that great at skiing when I considered myself a skier so I’m a little leery.

(Then again, I can only imagine how bad ass it would be to do something like this!)

Naturally, I’m looking to stick with adrenaline sports – they just suit me – but I’m at a little bit of a loss.

Don’t get me wrong, I still have every intention of jumping throughout the winter, though likely not with the same frequency as sunny days, no matter how cold, are few and far between from December-March up in these parts. And of course I’m hoping for a tunnel trip and a week spent in a warmer climate, but that’s just not enough to sustain this junkie.

So tell me, what do you do to get your adrenaline fix in the winter time? What is your winter sport of choice?

Blue skies!

Ashley

Stress and the Skydiver

*Photo by Lonnie Kirk (from a C-185)

Over the course of the season I’ve found that my stress levels are significantly lower throughout the week after a weekend filled with skydiving.

It’s a perfect inverse relationship – the more altitude in my life, the less stress. Ask any jumper, they’re likely to confirm this statement.

Though I will admit, the more skydiving I do on the weekends, the more I crave it throughout the week. Unless I’m lucky enough to squeeze in a weekday jump – hell, even if I have made a hump-day jump or two – I’m practically twitching in my seat come Friday, needing my adrenaline fix.

There’s something about opening the caravan door (or otter, or porter) at 13,000 feet, smelling the clean, crisp air, and flying with your freefly partner (or RW crew, if you’re into that sort of thing).

There’s no better release than that.

*Still taken from video by Richard Simenc. Prepping for a two-man rodeo.

Talk about living in the moment – as you plummet at speeds upwards of 140+ mph, all you have to focus on is what’s going on in that minute of freefall. There’s no worries at all. Work, your to-do list, issues with friends and family, all that gets sucked out the door at altitude.

Under canopy, you’re completely at peace; reflecting on the preceding skydive, adrenaline still pumping through your body – it’s the ultimate alone time.

*Photo by Sandy Weltman

Of course, where I found the most tranquility was on my helicopter jump – which is essentially the same feeling as a BASE, jumping into still air (though with significantly more altitude involved) – which you may remember from my post on the Work Stinks boogie a couple months back.

I’ve heard hot air balloon jumps are even more peaceful than the helicopter, what without the sound of the blades above your head. I will soon find out as I do my first balloon jump tomorrow with friends Bryan and Landon and my freefly partner Rick.

Fingers crossed for beautiful weather and Blue Skies!

Ashley

Skydiving: the ultimate diet

It seems that this summer I found the perfect diet plan – skydiving.

Not that I was exactly in the market to lose weight, but since I’ve started spending most of my weekend time at the DZ almost 15 pounds have dropped off. And probably not in the healthiest of ways.

(The real bummer here is that my RW suit doesn’t fit nearly as well as it used to…though who doesn’t love a new suit, right?)

Eating at the dropzone never seems to be a priority. On a good day, we jump, chat about the jump, pack, chat about the next jump, maybe throw in a dirt dive or two and do it all over again.

Every few jumps someone will hand me a bottle of water that I will gulp down, not realizing how much it was actually needed. Thankfully, I have friends who pay better attention to my hydration than I do.

But when it comes to eating, I tend to ignore the rumblings in my stomach until the day’s end.

Why?

Well, when I was a student, my main reason for not eating was because I was so nervous I feared that at any moment it might come back up. So I avoided food like the plague.

As I’ve progressed, this trend has continued – mainly because that’s the trend to which I became accustom. Although my body signals to me that it needs nourishment, rarely do I actually feel hungry at the DZ. But the moment I come down from sunset load and get packed up, I realize just how famished I am!

Of course, that doesn’t stop me from cracking open a cold, refreshing beer to end the day. And with no food in my system, it’s a quick, cheap buzz, that’s for sure.

I do realize this trend needs to change. Consuming only calories from beer is bound to catch up with my health one day. But, as a girl who typically watches what she eats, accompanying fellow skydivers to the nearest fast food joint for a mid-day bite just doesn’t sit well with me.

During the Work Stinks boogie this year at Start Skydiving, we stocked up on fresh fruit and light protein bars to help get us through the weekend. This was just the ticket. You get quick fuel that doesn’t sit around in your belly for hours.

Of course, since I’ve been back at home I’ve gone right back to my old ways. Next time I head to the DZ, I’ll have to stop at the grocery store to pick up some goods.

What about you? What is your typical eating routine during weekends at the DZ? Do you too find yourself eating less?

Blue Skies!

Ashley

It just makes sense

As I mentioned in Tuesday’s post, lots of time this weekend was spent bonding over beers with fellow skydivers.

This has quickly become one of my favorite past times. Not only do we reflect, reminisce, and have a good laugh at the skydives of the day, it’s also a great chance to learn from other jumpers. And of course, what a better way to make new friends than over a cold beer!

After the sunset load on Sunday, I decided to trunk pack out of pure laziness and spent that time having a 1-on-1 pow-wow with one of my favorite belly flyers. 

As I sat on the neighboring packing mat, I was asked the same question most of my belly flyer friends have asked lately: “what made you turn to freeflying?”

Funny thing is, my answer has changed over the last couple weeks. Initially, I started dabbling in freefly just to see what it was about, for some variety between big-ways, for a different type of body control practice. All with the goal of becoming what I consider a “well-rounded skydiver.”

But on Sunday, I found myself answering this question quite concisely: “it just makes sense.”

*Photo courtesy of Skydive Orange. 

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m by no means a full-time member of the freeflyers, but it’s a discipline I’ve begun gravitating toward more and more. I’m still available for RW jumps, so don’t forget about me belly flyers.

But to me, freefly just makes sense. Exit the plane head down, got it. Break off the hybrid into a sit, no problem. I can’t explain why it seems so simple, but from the moment I was instructed on how to sit in freefall – and actually doing it quite easily on my first attempt – I’ve gravitated toward this discipline. 

Upon hearing this answer, my belly flyer friend responded in an incredibly encouraging manner. He even recommended some of the best freeflyers around to hook up with for mentoring.

Not that I expected anything less. As much crap as skydivers like to give each other, we’re a very supportive bunch.

For some, belly flying comes natural, they get a thrill out of connecting up in big-ways, making points in smaller groups, and dirt diving every jump along the way. I’ve heard a number of natural belly flyers say they stick to RW for the challenge it brings, and because “they can’t sit to save their lives,” or some version of that phrase.

Others find sitting, standing, and head-down positions to make the most sense. Like me, a lot of these skydivers find big-ways to be stressful and making points just isn’t necessary for a successful jump.

Then of course there’s the people who are in the sport for canopy work – the swoopers and CRW (canopy relative work) groups. I’m a freefall junkie, so I’m definitely not the best source of information here.

(These are some talented CRW jumpers if I’ve ever seen them!)

Regardless of the discipline, at the end of the day, we’re all skydivers. We all love to sit around, talk about our jumps, brag about the good one’s, laugh at the funneled formations and tumbling freeflyers.

This is what makes the sport so great. There’s so much to do, so much to learn, and so much to talk about. Thankfully – after all, that’s why you keep coming back here, right?

In your time as a skydiver, what have you encountered that “just makes sense?” What are some of your favorite parts of the sport?

Blue skies!

Ashley

Beer tab

It seems that my beer tab is increasing exponentially every time I set foot on the dropzone.

I owe for two firsts on Sunday alone! Gotta love being a newbie.

For those who are not familiar with dropzone beer rules, let me explain.

In skydiving, it is an unwritten law that after a milestone in the sport, you are to purchase a case of beer to celebrate said milestone. This beer is typically consumed around the after-hours bonfire where skydivers reminisce about the day’s jumps and bond over the beer purchased by other skydivers.

Milestones are often the “first” experiences: first solo jump, first 4-way, first 8-way, first off-landing, first cut away (in which case you also owe a bottle of liquor to your rigger for a successful reserve ride), first time jumping a new rig, etc. The list goes on.

Some DZs take these rules more seriously than others. I’ve been to places where, if you have more than one first on a single jump, you only owe one case.

I wish that were true at Skydive Tecumseh, where I participated in my first hoop dive while jumping my brand new rig for the first time. This also was Jeromy’s 300th jump for which he owes beer, if you follow the rules outlined here.

I make it a point not to draw attention to my firsts – not that it helps much. There’s always someone paying attention somewhere.

Here’s one of the videos that was captured of the hoop dive, courtesy of Jon Morrison. There were 9 of us that participated. It’s a bit of a zoo, as you’ll notice.

I’m the one giving the exit count. See my new rig? Isn’t it pretty!

And yes, that’s a barrel roll out the door. Not quite intentional. Oops. I initially flew around to the back side of the hoop with the intent of meeting people as they came through, then flew back around and held back as an observer. It was fun to watch from afar!

It was nice that Jeromy was able to get through the hoop first, as this jump was for him. I also enjoy when he tries to make it through again, and Jon turns the hoop and denies him!

Fun weekend, with lots of firsts. Oh, and I forgot to mention water training. Not much to tell there other than being submerged in a pond with five men in 50 degree weather. I may still be hypothermic, but it was surprisingly entertaining. 

So tell me, what do you still owe beer for?

Blue Skies!

Ashley

Pre-Jump Rituals

When it comes to athletes, no matter the sport, there is one thing they all have in common – pre-game rituals. 

Often these rituals manifest themselves as something so minute that bystanders may not notice. Others occur on such a large scale that athletes become famous for them (a la LeBron James and his pre-game chalk throwing).

I’ve become fascinated by the pre-jump routines of my fellow skydivers. Like hockey players, some skydivers have a religious set of pre-jump habits that start the moment they are manifested on the ground. You know, always put your right leg in your jumpsuit first for good luck.

Though honestly, I haven’t encountered many that are quite as hardcore as those hockey players. The skydivers I spend my time with aren’t quite as superstitious. Then again, we don’t have to pray not to get a slapshot to the teeth every time we get in an airplane.

For skydivers, the ride to altitude is when many of these rituals begin.

*Photo by Katya Suvorov, courtesy of SkydiveBlog.com                                                                            

In my short time in the sport, I’ve witnessed a number of these fascinating events:

• Untie and retie the tennis shoes for security
• A squirt of Listerine mouth spray just before the door opens
• Running through the cut away sequence multiple times as the door opens (great safety ritual, really)
• Applying Chapstick around 10,000 feet
• Passing around a tin of Altoids to the entire plane
• Adjusting the Velcro on an altimeter so it’s just right – guilty

Those are just a few of the fun rituals I’ve encountered. 

I even jumped with a guy who sneezed twice every time the plane got to 6,000 feet. Of course, this isn’t something he had control over, but it’s interesting none the less.

And you can’t forget about the standard fist bump as a last good luck, have fun, blue skies gesture.

What are some of the pre-game rituals you have noticed – as a skydiver or other athlete? Do you have any traditions that you’ve adopted over the years?

Blue Skies!

Ashley

Skydiving: A global community

One aspect of skydiving that I have come to realize, is that it’s a global community. It’s one of the things I’ve come to love most about the sport.

(It’s like a bunch of wingsuits, holding hands!)

At every drop zone where I’ve jumped, there have been a number of people visiting from different countries. Here in Ohio, we have a couple guys who are originally from Russia. They’re two of the nicest guys around and will sit and have exchanges in Russian between jumps.

In Florida I met a couple guys who were traveling together from Sweden on a skydiving vacation. Again, great guys.

Regardless of gender, age, race or cultural background, almost everyone I’ve met so far has been quick to welcome me into the world of skydiving. I couldn’t be prouder to be a part of this world-wide community.

No matter where a drop zone is located, once that airplane door opens and you’re out in the open air, skydiving is a universal language. And so is the fun that comes along with it.

If you’re not a part of it already, I highly recommend taking a leap into the skydiving community. You won’t regret it.

Blue Skies!

Ashley