Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!van-bc!rsoft!mindlink!a218
From: Charlie_Gibbs@mindlink.bc.ca (Charlie Gibbs)
Newsgroups: rec.skydiving
Subject: Re: What is this maneuver called?
Message-ID: <6139@mindlink.bc.ca>
Date: 4 Jun 91 17:27:51 GMT
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada
Lines: 47

In article <14544@exodus.Eng.Sun.COM> rand@skydiver.Eng.Sun.COM
(Iconoclast at large) writes:

>Secondly....One of the great things about freestyle is that it finally
>provides a departure from the myopic attitudes and quantification
>frenzy that sequential convinced everyone they needed to march too.

     How times have changed.  Back when the only thing in RW that
even resembled competition was SCR scrambles, the only really
serious competitors were the style and accuracy freaks.  The rest
of us would chuckle at their frustration (they really didn't look
like they were having much fun) and would go up and have a ball.

     When the first 4-way sequential teams appeared, a lot of
us fun-loving types referred to it as "team style."  The same
mindset seemed to apply; these jumpers did a rigidly-defined
set of manoeuvres and took things very seriously, while the
rest of us still just went up and had fun.

     Nowadays it's hard to find an RW load where people aren't
trying to organize an impressive set of manoeuvres.  Even if it's
a pick-up load everyone dirt-dives it to death.  In free-fall it's
bang-bang-bang and heaven help the poor sod who drops a grip.

     I might be exaggerating the situation a bit, but it really is
getting harder to find people who just want to go up and have fun.
One of my most memorable jumps was a quick end-of-the-day hookup
from 4500 feet.  I did a nice slow pin - just sliding down the
tube and enjoying the scenery - and when we got the hookup my
buddy broke it to a line (unplanned) and turned it so we could
lay there and watch the sunset.  Beautiful.

     Enjoy freestyle.  It'll be regimented soon enough.  But
there'll still be some of us old farts around who've had enough
of serious jumping.  If you get bored or burnt out, look for us.
We're the ones who still do fun RW (although we might get on the
odd hot sequential or mega load because they're still a blast if
you don't get too hyper).  Heck, we might even turn the odd style
set just for the hell of it, and do it fast enough to piss off the
serious zoomies.  And possibly we'll bet a beer on accuracy at the
bottom, and give you a run for your money.

     As with anything else in life, it's great to go for the gold,
but it's also important to stop and smell the roses along the way.

Charlie_Gibbs@mindlink.bc.ca  NSCR-225 NCCR-74 BASCR-54
If your nose runs and your feet smell, you're built upside-down.