*Photo by Lonnie Kirk

“You can trust a skydiver with your life, but not your money or your wife.”

This is one of many sayings that I’ve heard in the recent past – and not all of them are specific to the skydiving community. I’ve had ski and snowboard friends quote similar lines like, “you never lose your girlfriend, you only lose your turn.”

But that’s not the point. Believe it or not, this isn’t about relationship theft among athletes, it’s about trust.

Skydiving is a sport where you’re regularly trusting others with your safety. Whether it’s the pre-flight pin check, jumping with newbies on big-ways, or having someone pack your parachute, there’s some element of trust that needs to be involved.

You need to trust that these people are going to be thorough in their gear check, that they’re going to be safe on a dive, that they’ll double-check their work. And just like all other relationships, you have to trust that people care enough to take the proper precautions in the air and on the ground.

This is something I’ve come to learn with my regular jump buddies. I don’t think twice about asking any of my skydiving friends to give me a pin check or set my Cypress after donning my rig (what can I say, occasionally my mind slips and I’m too lazy or in too much of a rush to take off my rig before the next load). I’m always willing to try something new and exciting in the sky with my freefly partner. In fact, he’s the first person I turn to when I have any sort of doubt.

*Photo by Sandy Weltman

(Freefly partners in crime!)

Every skydiver needs a voice of reason. I’m extremely lucky to have someone so close to me who’s so supportive.

When I was going through student training, my instructor Tom was always there to provide insight. Having gone through ground school with him, I learned quickly that I could turn to him with any question, concern or issue that arose. In fact, I still can.

There aren’t many skydivers that I jump with regularly, or have jumped with in the past for that matter, that I don’t trust with just about any element of the sport. Of course, I do like to do my own packing – but that’s just one of those things.

The more time I spend in the sport, around other jumpers at different events and dropzones, the more I realize just how important trust is.

Doubts that creep up in your gut, the ones that make you stop and question, are there for a reason. If there’s someone you don’t trust in a certain situation, maybe you should avoid it if possible. Safety needs to come first, and sometimes listening to your gut – even if it means sitting out a load or not participating in a particular jump – is the safest option.

*Photo by Paul Iglin

(Recent balloon jump: this weekend I encountered a number of great jumpers that are extremely trustworthy. Great jumping with you, Neil!)

Finding other jumpers you can trust is critical to a happy, healthy skydiving career. As in life, positive relationships are built on trust, and what’s more fun than having lots of positive skydiving relationships to count on?

Blue Skies!

Ashley