Hi everyone! You’re getting a twofer today in blog land. First, a little bit of time dedicated to how grateful I am that I found skydiving. Second, it’s head-up season, baby!
Thanksgiving Gratitude Moment
Well in honor of Thanksgiving, at the risk of sounding a little corny, I want to take the first part of this blog to express my gratitude to the sport and all the things it brings with it. (To be fair, I am usually one of those annoying gratitude people so this isn’t really out of the norm for me.) I am so incredibly thankful for skydiving and the role it plays in my life. It’s such a massive part of who I am: it’s where I spend a lot of my time, it’s where I’ve made so many of my friends, it’s enabled me to travel and meet people and have amazing experiences. It’s one of the biggest incentives I have to stay fit and healthy and to take an interest in my nutrition & vegetarianism, meditation, and yoga. So I’m thankful for that.
Especially though, I’m thankful for the people I’ve met through it. I have friends from so many drop zones. Every time I’ve moved to a new city, new state, I’ve met more skydivers, made more friends, and experienced the character of a new DZs. I have met people who have become close friends and teammates with them. I met and re-met Richo Butts, my adorable talented swooperific boyfriend, through skydiving. (He will hate that description.) I’m thankful that I’ve settled down in Tracy, CA because Skydive California is here. My travel is almost exclusively for skydiving events: try-outs, or camps, or events, or tunnel trips. I realize that as I type all this, I sound incredibly 1 dimensional and skydiving-obsessed. It’s my passion. And I realize that means I pour my heart and soul and free time and money into it. So I’m thankful to have something I’m so passionate about.
I don’t say this nearly enough but I am so thankful my sponsors who make the gear that I love and count on. I’m thankful for…
For Option Studios, my first sponsor. From our very first interaction, I have felt so believed-in and supported. The folks working there all do their best to lift up women in the sport and I love that. They make the best jerseys out there and their designs constantly impress me. On top of making durable, stylish, radical jerseys, I love all the people who work at Option. Such a lovely bunch. They will always be my first sponsor and I love them so so much. So thankful for their support and that I’m part of the team.
For Fluid, who have made me a “canopy-person”. I have never been a “canopy-person”. When I flew Sabre2, I found myself saying, “Oh, the canopy part of the skydive is just to get me to the ground safely.” I didn’t find much joy in it. But that is very, very different with my Gangster. I love it. I also just recently started flying my removable slider and it’s such a game changer. Vocabulary to talk about canopy flight has never come easy to me. I’m not sure how to describe what I feel or experience when I fly my canopy. I always am left with a gap of understanding when someone talks about what canopy flight is like for them. But what I can definitely say is that the Gangster LOVES flying without a slider: the way it responds to harness input, how it turns. The canopy feels unrestrained. And finally, finally, I feel a connection to my canopy. (Not sentimental, but also that.) When I’m in the harness, it is responsive. It listens. I really, really love flying my canopy. Fluid knows how to make great wings. Also, again, I love the people! They are always helpful, prompt, pleasant, lovely, fun. I am so happy to have found a canopy that I actually like to fly and so happy that Fluid wants me to be a (T)ambassador for them.
For UPT, who made me the best rig I’ve ever flown. I am so thankful for UPT and their sponsorship. I love my V306. I love its design. I love how it fits. I love its durability and reliability. I feel so lucky to be at a point in the sport where I can have my very own custom rig that fits me and looks amazing. When I started skydiving, I definitely was ballin’ on a budget. Thus, I jumped very crappy gear for a long while. Today, I’m thankful to be sponsored by UPT and to be flying a rig that’s safe and comfortable and beautiful.
For L&B. Recently, I picked up a sponsorship by L&B and while I’m thankful for that, I’m mostly thankful for their products. I am thankful for the durability and reliability of my altis. I’ve only ever gotten a new one after losing mine š My audible and my wrist alti just keep going. They don’t break. They don’t glitch. They just work predictably, jump after jump. I’m thankful for that.
For Skydive CA, my home DZ. I love jumping at Skydive California (Skydive Cal, SDCA). Just so, so much. I love the staff. I love the culture. I love the fun jumpers. I feel so invested in Skydive Cal and the people there. I am thankful they let me run events. I am thankful so many of my friends jump there. I’m thankful for their incredibly inclusive community they’ve built. I am so thankful to call Skydive Cal my home DZ.
For my teammates, past and future. I am so thankful for the teams I’ve been on. The friendships I’ve made, the fun we’ve had. I’m not active in 4way and 8way belly anymore, but my belly teams filled my heart with joy and all my memories from Funky Nuggets, Perris Riot, Stockholm Syndrome (and others I’ve forgotten?) warm my soul. I love teams and I love friends I’ve made on those teams
For anyone who has come to any event I’ve put on. Thank you! I love putting on events. I love watching people learn and grow and improve. I couldn’t run events if no one showed up (which I do worry about every single time I have an event) and so I am thankful for everyone who comes out and participates.
For my friends across the US. Skydiving has introduced me to so many people from so many places. I have friends across the US and the world, thanks to all the events and travel I do. I love this sport for introducing me to all these excellent, quirky, fun-loving skydivers.
I’m just so gosh-darn thankful for this sport. Happy Belated Thanksgiving, y’all.
Head-up Season!
Tis the season, for head-up flying! It’s been creeping slowly up on us. Next year is a record year and the question keeps flying around: “Are you getting back on the world record merry-go-round?” And with all that, comes more events!
Women’s California Head-Up Record!
The first weekend of November, I’m proud to say that we set the first-ever California Women’s Head-up single point record! I’m very pleased we set it with a 12way as well. While every record is still a record, no matter how small, it’s fun to break a record in a big way, instead of just putting a 4way in the books. So a 12way is awesome! Friday, we had a warm-up day, which I love. Having a day to shake off some rust, practice, and get a look at your slot without much pressure is such a relief. Saturday, we made several attempts (including one out of an otter, after the skyvan popped a tire) and got the record on our last attempt of the day!
Sunday we made attempts at a 2-point sequential record (which would have been both an FAI and a USPA record) and we flew pretty well! We thought we had the record on the last jump of the day but, alas. No dice, due to some technicalities. To the best of my understanding, we didn’t get the record for two reasons: 1. The inter picture wasn’t correct. 2. We had an orientation bust in-between the points. So, between point 1 and point 2, as far as I understand, more grips broke than the judges were expecting? So, for those of you familiar with competition, I believe this is like letting go of one of your grips while spinning a block and busting the bottom of the block. However, I don’t totally understand how this works, because I don’t believe we submitted a diagram of what the inter would look like. I need to get clarity on how “inters” work on multi-point records. But during the inter, a few extra people let go and someone found themselves on their back for a few seconds (which was our orientation bust). I also didn’t realize that was a possibility in a record; I’m still a little unclear on exactly how the rules work but now I am curious. I definitely have made a mental note to really, clearly understand all the rules if I ever put on a record.
Successful weekend overall! I’m not particularly bummed we didn’t get the sequential record. I’m super proud of myself without slapping a piece of paper on it. I flew my tits off all weekend (with the exception of my last jump on Friday where I got the wiggles. And my first jump Saturday where I chased the base and ended up lapping the whole formation to get into my slot. Whoops). Indeed, everyone flew their tits off! All the ladies did some really excellent flying, bringing in patience and discipline. We had a couple ladies who haven’t done many, or any, records which is so fun! So, there’s this phenomenon I’m starting to experience at records/events where I’m not the least experienced anymore. And in women’s jumps, I’m getting to the point where I’d say I’m a fairly experienced, decently strong flyer. And now, I get to celebrate the excitement of other people who are doing this stuff for the first time with them! And without also bringing along my own massive baggage of nerves and doubt. (I still have that. It just isn’t the loudest thing screaming inside my head anymore.) I had a couple separate people tell me after the camp that they really appreciated my positivity and encouragement throughout the weekend. I really loved hearing that. Because I do wonder often if my natural positivity and peppiness irks people. And I also got to be a source of strength in the formation. In our otter jump, I got moved to a different slot on exit but we didn’t want to change much else in the formation, so I got to carve 180 degrees around the base to my slot. It was super fun! And it was also very cool to be able to say “Yeah no problem. I def can do that.” and then go do it! I also got to do some really strong flying as first stinger to give some newer ladies something to dock on. I tried to be a quick and sturdy first stinger, trying to present quietly. And I am pretty proud of how I actually flew!
So, I don’t care that we missed the sequential. Honestly, I’ve finally realized something about events, both in attending and putting them on: it’s fine to have a just one reasonably modest goal for an event. It’s fine to only get 1 record at an event, not 3. It’s fine for me, when putting on a baby belly event, to pick easy points without cats or outfacing or close accordions or burble hops; it’s okay to have straightforward, achievable dive flows. It’s okay to NOT squeeze every last drop of challenge out of something. Sometimes, it’s much better to be mildly challenged and enjoy yourself, instead of everyone having to perform to their very best standard every single jump. It’s much better to have everyone in their mid-range. Not pushed too hard, not bored. It’s sometimes just enough to be doing a really rad sport with our friends and only break one record.
Anyway, it was such a rad weekend. I really appreciate the work Jazmyne and Courtney have been putting into women’s records in CA in the last few years. I do think it’s important to keep the fire burning, that was originally lit during Project 19. Trying to get more than a dozen women who can probably all do the thing to come out on the same weekend. To get the DZ coordination for the right plane and a debrief room and to get us the loads we want that day. Solving the puzzle of slotting people in the right places to give us a good chance at success. Finding the right balance of encouragement and coaching that makes a good leader. All those complexities have to go into running an event and it’s hard work and it can be a lot of pressure. I’m glad Courtney and Jazmyne are willing to do the heavy lifting.
Also, In Other Head-Up News
Congrats to the General CA Head-Up record that just sent a few weeks ago! I feel the momentum starting to build headed towards next year. I don’t want to be “that person” who always talks about records. Because, barf. But I am curious about who is getting back on the world record merry-go-round. I am so curious if anything is going to be different about how this head-up organizing is different than the head-down organizing. I spent months after the record naively waiting and hoping that there might be some communication from the organizers with a debrief, or a recap, or about what the fuck we were going to change for the next time around. Nothing ever really came out though. (But now I am questioning myself. Nothing official ever came out, right?) The closest thing we have to a whiff of potential change to the head-down stuff is Matt Fry’s experimental events. But I digress. Will the head-up carousel be just the same? Am I willing to go around in the same circles? I mean, I didn’t hate the 200way experience. I’ll probably at least do one try-out. I’ll probably go to Chicago because I have the best luck at the Chicago camps. In the meantime, I better get decent at flying something other than left hand first stinger.
Okay! Happy Thanksgiving and Heads-Up Season!