Skyfest 2007

The one thing that people say unanimously when I mention that I sky dive is, "Ah, so you are an adrenaline junkie!" I think that is so far from the truth now. There is a reward and gratification from flying my body in free fall or under a canopy that only another sky diver could understand. I do it for that challenge and reward without question. After Skyfest this year (Thursday through Sunday) I feel this reward even deeper and my gratification to my peers is much like a debt that I will pay back over a life time.

Skyfest is a gathering of about 300 skydivers from all around the world that come to my DZ for this weekend every year. I met and jumped with people from France, Japan, Israel, Norway, Canada, Mexico and all over the United States. The whole purpose of Skyfest is to raise money through the registration fees for the Jerry Schrimsher Scholarship Fund. Jerry was a very well known skydiver for over 40 years who passed when he had a heart attack during a jump with his friends in 2000. Jerry believed in the advancement of the sport and bringing the new generation of sky divers into the sport with safe training to bridge the gap between being a student and growing to be coaches and instructors. These scholarships, which equal funding for training jumps for skydivers that are selected by their home drop zones, are given to several drop zones that support the foundation events. An awesome cause.

Although I did not jump today because it was wet, I still managed to get in 18 quality sky dives and also jumped from a few things that I normally don't get a chance to. Jumping with all these cool people made the aircraft even more fun. I think that it was on Friday that I looked across the hanger and saw Norm who I actually jumped with a couple of weeks ago in Deland Florida. He and his wife Nicole were really cool and he mentioned that he might be in town for Skyfest. I had no idea at the time that I was on the same jump run with Norman Kent, easily one of the top two skydiving photographers and camera men in the world. Yeah, it was Norm Kent. The guy looks over at me and recognizes me and we speak and catch up. He then says, "Glad that I saw you. I need to get your information because I got a call about a film where they needed a black sky diver for an actor/stand in." Are you kidding me.......wha........who knows if this will come to be. Films come and go and many are never seen, but what an honor for this guy to even consider me.

I got a chance to jump a few times with a guy just known as Bigun.....well....because he is about 6' 5" and 260 lbs. He was one of the load organizers that was brought in to coach and help out some of the rookies. I had a chance to watch him mentor and work with a lot of people which just showed how cool this guy is. Before the award ceremony (.....beer pouring.....) for my Star Crest Recipient that I got back in April, Bigun asked the three SCR's to come up. He says a few words about giving back to the sport and what it means to him and they throws this on the table for me.

This is a brand new Evolution altimeter by Free Fall Accessories. It is beautiful. I have my workhorse altimeter but this is and incredible hand crafted instrument. I had no idea what to say as this guy who just met me gives me a brand new altimeter that is probably one of the best sport altimeters out there. He only asked that I pay it forward. Indeed I will. Thank you.

This morning kinda sucked because it rained. It actually poured. The field was soaked and immediately accumulated a lot of water. I probably would not have even gone down there if I would have known that it was gonna rain that much. When it did let up, I was less than inspired to jump because I would have to land and risk falling and maybe getting muddy. What is the point of that after I just got in 18 jumps over three days.....I can wait. It would be different if it had been a couple weeks. I BS around for a while but decide to leave even when the sky clears and people start jumping. For some reason though, I keep running into people that want to talk and I get delayed and delayed over and over again. They are asking me to stay and hang and just wont let it go when I tell them I want to leave. After they keep holding me I tell them OK, I will stay for one more hour.

A little while later I hear somebody on the PA calling me to the center of the hanger. What? As I am walking back in, everybody is standing around and in the center of the hanger are Jerry Schrimsher's son, the owner of my Drop Zone Steve Boyd, and Tom Jenkins the senior formation team lead at Spaceland, waiting for me. They have selected me as the winner of the Jerry Schrimsher Scholarship Fund for this year. I had no idea that when opportunities opened up for me to jump with many of the very experienced people at my drop zone that they were evaluating me and ultimately selected me for this honor. I was completely speechless.

There is absolutely nothing more humbling than being honored by your peers. Indeed, I will pay it forward. What an awesome long weekend.