2018 USPA NATIONAL PARACHUTING CHAMPIONSHIPS
After an hour of watching 'several disciplines' of divers jump we got a weather delay while a storm blew through. During the hour break someone explained "Swooping" to me. Swooping is a smaller parachute they use to 'swoop' down - very fast - then level off and drag their feet through a water hazard, followed by raising your legs and attempting to land, without falling, on a small 9' square. Of course i got an official photographer vest and got out in the landing area to grab a few hundred photos. AMAZING!
LANDING AREA
Swooping straight down
The rain blew through but it left plenty of wind, so a few got Swooped slightly off course. But the best Men and Women in the world put on quite a show. Swoop swoop!
preparing and dropping in the square
Even with all the excitement of watching them Swoop toward me and at me, it was the people who i found most interesting, the watching spectators and the jumpers all. Tandem, Team and Canopy all put on a show. The crowd watching seemed to know what was going on. Everyone but me was an old hand... now I'm an old pro - watcher - too.
judges monitoring the water area
Folding their chutes between jumps
a competitor resting between jumps
Between jumps they sit quietly burning off the adrenaline. Maybe eat a snack, laugh with friends or nap. Fold your chute for the next jump and rest in the shade.
What i DIDNT do back in the day, was skydive. I missed all this fun.
Everyone i met was friendly and fun. Jumpers from Connecticut, Colorado, California, Canada, Dubai and Europe are a few i met.
I would have enjoyed skydiving with them,
back in the day!
- Peg Leg Pirate Skip
PS. this shot was taken from the parking lot back toward the airfield. The young girl walking away was parked beside me. When i was leaving the landing area, she was also walking back toward the parking lot. I asked her if she was a jumper. "Yes." (she was young, about her mid 20's) I asked her how many jumps she had done. "990" was her reply. She just walked to her car, opened her trunk, grabbed her helmet and chute and turned away, walking back to jump.
