Brief SDC Update
Given that I was completely MIA last week, I owe y’all an update on my life in the skydiving world.
Last Friday was my birthday, so my incredibly awesome freefly partner decided to take me to the Blue Sky Ranch in New York for the weekend. Any excuse for us to travel is a good one!
We met up with our buddy Tom who was traveling for work on our first day there, met some great people, promoted Jump for Diabetes to the best of our abilities, ate some great food, and overall had an incredible time. More to come in a later post 
.
This weekend I also fully realized just how much difference flying with a weight belt can make in keeping up on a multiple-way sitfly.
I was also extremely happy to get my new slider from PD just in time for this trip. It’s oversized and has already made all the difference in my openings on my Sabre 1. Plus it’s collapsable, so needless to say I had quite a few peaceful canopy rides this weekend!
And to top it off, I even got to spend some time yesterday afternoon out at Skydive PA with our regular peeps. We took off late morning from NY since the weather wasn’t cooperating – what with the low cloud layer at 1,300 ft, and as we got closer to Grove City the weather got better, so we took a detour to jump! Can you say addicts or what?
Now it’s back to the grind and my Monday’s are always incredibly hectic. But I promise to fill in the details later.
Blue skies!
Ashley
BASE Week: Rick Simenc
Well, this is the last day of BASE Week, and after an interview with Miles D, how can it get much better?
Let me tell you how…with an interview from my freefly partner! He’s also a former BASE jumper so it ties in .
*Photo by Ashley Mead
Y’all have heard so much about Rick in the past 9 months or so, it’s only fitting that you have a chance to hear the facts straight from him. Some of you may have read the article in the Jan/Feb issue of Blue Skies Mag that discusses diabetes in the world of adrenaline sports – this interview is nothing like that. We’re keeping the topics on the lighter side today.
I struggled with these questions, Rick, as the regular readers pretty much know the basics about your current skydiving career – aside from those days you sneak off to jump without me 
That aside, I think I’ve come up with some compelling questions to get your wheels turning and keep the readers entertained. So, here goes nothing!
SDC: Let’s start with the standard question – how did you get your start in skydiving?
RS: To make a very long story short, from day one on this planet I’ve been the epitome of spontaneity and this was one of those last minute choices . I told myself I was going to go skydiving. So I did a static line jump for my 18th birthday.
SDC: Obviously we know your favorite discipline is freefly, but tell us why.
RS: I guess because I’m the black sheep.
SDC: Ah, “dark side” – black sheep. Makes sense. Regular readers know that we travel a lot, tell us about your favorite trip, dropzone, experience – whatever.
RS: Here comes the cheese….I will have to say that my first date with Beans (aka SkydiveChick, aka Ashley) is my most memorable skydiving trip. We went to the Work Stinks boogie last September. Too much fun! All beer has already been drunk! Our first 2-way head-down, first Heli-jump, Ashley’s first sit-fly, my first otter and our first boogie.
SDC: Aw, that’s sweet! Y’all remember this picture I assume!
*Photo by Norman Kent
SDC: You were once a regular BASE jumper. What triggered the switch to skydiving?
RS: I wanted the dirt to look smaller.
SDC: Alright, now I’m really going to put you on the spot…what’s your favorite part about being my freefly partner? (yep, I’m making this one about me…I know you can respect that )
RS: Reverse cowgirl.. LOL! I love when you ride me out the door!!
SDC: Hahaha! For those who are unaware of what he’s talking about, see the video below!
SDC: We’ve had a lot of great opportunities over the past year, what are some of the things you’re looking forward / hoping to accomplish to this season?
RS: My 500th, D license, coach and pro-rating
SDC: Jump for Diabetes is fast approaching! Tell us a little about where the idea came from and how you made it work last year.
RS: The idea came from another fundraiser that was held at a DZ in Omro,Wi while was still a student. It involved jumping out of planes, raising funds and promoting awareness for Lupus. It was fun for all and it was a good cause. I told myself, when I’m able to stay on my feet when landing, I will coordinate an event like that one and try to do the same as them. And I gave it a shot…WTF, ya know?
I’m really looking forward to this years event. I’m very lucky to have Beans and Apt3 Studios on the Jump for Diabetes team. This years event would not be happening if you guys didn’t step up.. PROPS!!
SDC: What is your most memorable skydiving experience so far?
RS: Probably sit’n relative with you.
SDC: So as one of those freeflyers who falls into that oh-so-subjective “intermediate” category, and the person who taught me how to sitfly, let’s hear your advice to all those aspiring freeflyers out there.
RS: Challenge yourself and don’t give up. When you think you’ve done everything you can to get it.. and don’t, push yourself to keep going and achieve your goal. Once you get it, you get it.
SDC: Anything you’d like to add?
RS: It’s been 3 days and I’m jones’n for some ff (freefall).
Thanks, Rick. This was fun.
For anyone who was curious about something and didn’t find out in this interview, feel free to send questions my way. After all, we do live under the same roof.
Blue skies!
Ashley
False alarm
The forecast didn’t look favorable for last weekend – not one bit. With a 60% chance of early afternoon thunderstorms, the crew pretty much assumed Saturday would be 1 and done as far as skydiving goes. Sunday looked even worse, with an 80% chance of storms all day.
Lucky for us, we were only weathered out for a short burst of cloudiness on Saturday and still got 15 loads up.
I was especially thankful as I had not been in the air since South Carolina – so I was jonesing BAD.
At sundown on Friday night, the 2nd annual Tom Watson party started. It included catering, gun shooting, couch burning, good friends, and a beer fire truck..seriously, look!
*Photo by Mary Margaret Briggs
Oh, and there were also lots of great skydives! Joe Lunardi was the load organizer for the day, and he put together some great group freeflying and a fun tracking dive.
Here’s some proof from the weekend
This was also the first weekend for me and my 10 pound weight belt. That’s a story for another day.
Sunday’s weather panned out as expected – with lots of rain. But it was still a fun time at the dropzone, hanging out with friends, watching videos and chatting the day away!
Hope y’all had a good weekend! Looking forward to doing it again soon!
Blue Skies!
Ashley
Carolina Revisited
Last week Rick and I took a trip to South Carolina for a long weekend. The main purpose of the trip was to visit his aunt who he hadn’t seen since the 80s, but our adrenaline addiction benefitted greatly when we heard that she lived an hour from Skydive Carolina.
So needless to say we spent some time at this Southern DZ!
The first thing you notice when arriving at Skydive Carolina is the HUGE LZ. H.U.G.E. It’s 70 acres! And there are outs everywhere – not that you frequently need them. Even I didn’t have a problem hitting my target
The only issue we really ran into was turbulence and thermals off the runway.
We were pleasantly surprised when we ran into a few jumpers that we met at the Everglades Boogie. We posted up near a group of belly flyers who made us feel right at home and got a chance to jump with one of the freeflyers who we also met in Clewiston.
On the last day of the trip we were able to jump with Justin, a friend from Skydive PA and now a resident of South Carolina – this was the weekend he made Skydive Carolina his home.
The first jump of the day was a little hairy for me – what with getting kicked in the face and almost getting clobbered by another freeflyer. Whew!
After spending a few days there, I have a good feeling that Justin will be right at home there. The people are so nice and down to Earth! There’s a strong community feel, very encouraging. Most of all, people are just there to have a good time – even the teams in training took the time to chat and share in a few laughs.
Another Southern DZ I highly recommend! If you decide to pay this dropzone a visit, tell Annette that Ashley and Rick said hi
Blue skies!
Ashley
The Organized Skydiver
Five days a week (sometimes six or seven, depending on the week) I’m a digital marketing consultant. My work consists of many moving parts for large and small clients. Staying on top of it all requires a tight organization system.
This is something I’ve managed to perfect over the years – something I’m still tweaking to fit as needs change for individual clients.
One area I’m having trouble keeping organized is my skydiving life. I’m so go, go, go when it comes to days where blue skies appear that I don’t take the time to slow down and make sure I’ve got all my ducks in a row.
Recently I’ve done such things as leaving my camera at home, forgetting goggles and not realizing until the plane has already lifted off (twice), and losing my camera cord so I can’t upload videos. There are other things I have temporarily misplaced that have since been found, so no need to mention them here .
Though I’ve taken steps to remedy these organizational issues, like purchasing a dedicated skydiving gear bag, I still can’t seem to keep everything in line. Maybe I need to establish a better getting ready routine – or maybe the spare bedroom should be turned into a hobby den where everything has a place.
What do you think? What steps do you take to stay organized and on top of the things you need for skydiving?
Blue skies!
Ashley
Another addition
I’ve been slacking this week when it comes to social media. Sorry about that. It’s been busy.
Naturally, I don’t really have much to share this week, given the amount I’ve been working, but I was able to head out to get a little addition to my skydiving tattoo.
I really like what Donny did with this! And considering I walked in with a vague idea (“can you just add some more clouds and a bird?”), he really turned this into a complete piece – well, for now
Now, it’s on to more important things – the weekend!
I’m super pumped to be jumping a turbine this weekend down at AerOhio! It’s been since Florida, almost 2 months, since I’ve been in a big plane. I couldn’t be more excited. And from the sounds of it, there will be lots of jumpers from around the area who are heading down there too. Should be a great time – haven’t jumped with most of these people since last year…it’s time
What are your skydiving plans for the weekend?
Blue ones!
Ashley
Safety Day is almost here!
Until just before hitting publish, the title of this post was “Safety Day is on it’s way” but I didn’t want to be run out of town due to the cheese factor, so I thought better of it. You’re welcome!
Finally, the day we’ve all been waiting patiently (or not so patiently) for is here…well, at least those of us in the north have been waiting.
SAFETY DAY! What else?
This day marks the beginning of a brand new skydiving season – and let me tell you I’m beyond excited. We’ll be heading down to Skydive PA this year for some safety seminars and hopefully some skydiving if the weather cooperates!
More importantly, we’ll get to spend QT with all those skydiving friends we haven’t seen in months.
I feel pretty lucky to have, for the most part, kept in touch with most of my jumping buddies this winter. At the very least we’ve chatted on Facebook, and on occasion we’ve gotten together for some fun winter activities.
But there’s nothing quite like being back at the DZ, skydiving all day and chilling with a beer in hand after the sun goes down. This is going to be a good season indeed.
Though March 13th is the official Safety Day according to the USPA, there are a number of DZs that will be holding their festivities in the coming weeks – here’s a snapshot of what’s going on in the community:
- 3/13 – Safety Day at Aerohio. Another great DZ just South of Cleveland. Highly recommended if you’re in the area! Check out the Facebook event listing to find out more.
- 3/11-3/14 Skydive Expo – not to be forgotten or neglected, going on in Deland Florida now! Check out the Facebook Fan page here!
- 3/19 – 3/20 Safety Day the evening of the 19th, followed by Opening Day at Skydive Chicago. Learn more about their events on the web site.
- 3/27 – Safety Day at Skydive the Ranch. If the weather, and my wallet, cooperate, I might head up that way myself!
What are your plans for Safety Day?
Blue skies!
Ashley
Surprise for this Adrenaline Junkie
Last week I had to call my auto insurance provider to update my address – seeing as I moved back in December I thought it was about time!
After making the necessary adjustments, my agent asks me if I’m interested in a life policy, and she starts telling me how I should do this being a non-smoker in good health and in my 20s..yadda yadda.
I let her finish and then inform her that I likely don’t qualify as I am a skydiver…here’s how the conversation panned out from that point:
Agent: Oh really….hmm…. that’s an interesting hobby.
SDC: Yeah, I really like it (because honestly, what else was I going to say?)
Agent: How often do you really do it? It can’t be a frequent thing, right?
SDC: I’ve jumped 100 times in less than a year.
Agent: Oh…well, wow. That’s a lot.
SDC: In the grand scheme of things, it’s really not. There are people out there who jump 3, 4, 10 times that amount.
Agent: So then technically, we can say you do it rarely, for a skydiver.
SDC: I dunno if I’d go that far…it’s rare in the winter, if that counts for anything.
Agent: Well, just for shits and giggles (yes, she really used those words) let’s send this in for a quote and see what they come back with. Given that this is really the only thing you have against you, it might go through…never know.
And to my surprise, it did! The cost difference really isn’t that much, either. I’m even covered if I die skydiving. Heck yeah!
So to all my fellow 20-something, non-smoking, in overall general good health skydiving friends out there, check with your insurance provider, you may be able to get a good option to cover you in the event of the unspeakable. Your loved ones will be thankful you did.
Blue ones!
-Ashley
Tunnel Observing
Winter skydiving adventures this February have been slow – as in, non-existent. It’s either been too cold or cloudy or snowy/rainy to get out there, so I continue to reminisce on the adventures that were had during the Florida trip.
As I mentioned, once the weather turned sour on the Everglades boogie, we headed up to Orlando in hopes of getting some tunnel time. But lack of slots and, more appropriately, lack of funds, kept us from testing it out ourselves. On the positive side, we did have an opportunity to watch a couple freeflyers tackle sitfly issues that we’re currently trying to master: fall rate matching and relativity.
In the short amount of time we watched we were able to pick up some pointers from these two. It’s amazing what watching a couple of siflyers in the act can do to help improve your form in the sky.
(They have similar issues as she is significantly shorter and smaller than her partner)
Rick’s been tinkering with different leg positioning to catch more air and I’m working on staying as straight up and down as possible. It’s amazing what small adjustments can do. By putting my legs down just a little I help my fall rate (of course, the addition of a weight belt has helped too) – and with shoulders back and down the backsliding nearly disappears!
By the time we left Z-hills a couple days later we were feeling great about the improvement!
Now, if only we can get back in the sky soon to keep working on it. How’s the winter jumping been treating you this year?
Blue Skies!
Ashley
Skydiving Playlist
Last week the Jan/Feb issue of Blue Skies Magazine came out. This is an event I look forward to each month as it helps me keep up on what’s going on around the skydiving community.
It’s thanks to Blue Skies that I found the Everglades Boogie in the first place – had it not been for their calendar we never would have had the fabulous experience in Florida a few weeks back.
Anyway, I’m getting away from my point here…
One of the columns I enjoy reading is Jump a Random Stranger which is always the back page of the magazine. They ask a number of fun questions to get you acquainted with the skydiver (or BASE jumper) of the month.
A question they always ask pertains to the jumpers’ favorite skydiving songs. This is something that’s close to my heart. When I started skydiving there were a few songs that I always listened to before jumping and as I’ve grown in the sport, I’ve added to this playlist. Yes, there is actually an iPod playlist called skydiving on my Nano.
So today I’m using Blue Skies Magazine as an inspiration to talk about my favorite skydiving songs. Below is my list, with explanations for the one’s that aren’t so obvious.
- Pocket Full of Sunshine; Natasha Bedingfield – This song was on my brother’s tandem video. This was before I started skydiving and every time I heard it my blood started pumping a little harder.
- Major Tom (Coming Home); Peter Schilling – The first song I heard after my tandem skydive in Miami. Sure, it’s about space travel, but the lyrics hit home and it stuck. Was always a song I listened to before AFF jumps.
- Jai Ho; A. R. Rahman – No good reason, it was just on my iPod playlist during AFF training.
- The Adventure; Angels & Airwaves
- Untouched; The Veronica’s – AFF #2, I found myself singing this on the plane ride to altitude. It calmed my nerves. Over time, it pumped me up. Been on the playlist ever since.
- Come Clarity; In Flames – this was one of the songs that came up on Danger’s playlist every weekend at Cleveland Parachute. Lots of memories in these lyrics.
- Welcome to the World; Kevin Rudolf – it just fits.
- Streetlight; Derby – I used this when editing a video and now I can’t listen to it without thinking of skydiving.
- What I’ve Done; Linkin Park – another one that Danger used when editing videos.
- Free Falling; Tom Petty – duh!
There are more, but so as to not lose your interest I’ll stick with a lit of 10. There’s a lot of hard rock that makes me think of skydiving, mainly from the music that was playing at the DZ when I was a student, but this is a good start.
Now it’s your turn – tell me, what are your favorite skydiving songs, and why?
Blue ones!
Ashley