"It is easier to lead men to combat, stirring up their passion, than to restrain them and direct them toward the patient labors of peace."Andre Gide
|
| |
2004 Olympic Games and Yachting in Greece
Everybody knows that the Olympic Games are due to be held in Athens in 2004. Apart from the accepted consequences, positive and negative, for the city of Athens and Greece in general this sporting extravaganza will seriously affect the yachting fraternity ...
Exercise, fitness and improving your metabolism to lose weight
Losing weight can sometimes seem like a daunting task. It’s so easy to think “I can’t do it”. But you can. But in order to lose weight you need to increase your metabolism. So just how can you boost your metabolism? It is relatively simple to do. To ...
Tips for Mountain bikers in Spain
As any keen mountain biker will know, there are some important rules to follow and bike handling skills to master before subjecting yourself and your bike to the thrills and spills of off-road riding. Although most of us ride within our capabilities most ...
|
|
|
| |
Skydivers - Most people say we're crazy. Some say we have a death wish. Psychologists say people with an inclination to take high risks are a necessary part of the continuation of our species.
We are people from all walks of life. Students, blue-collar workers, engineers, doctors, nurses, you name it. What we have in common is an infinity for a high-risk sport, skydiving. Some also participate in other sports like scuba diving, kayaking, rock climbing, skiing. There is a sense of camaraderie among us. A sense that we understand a greater truth that is missed by most people.
Mentally it is an incredibly refreshing break from "society". Skydiving is a super stress reliever. When you are skydiving, you focus on that skydive and nothing else. This keeps away all the distractions of life. No room for stray thoughts or worries here. The intense focus and the pump of adrenaline leave you feeling mentally and physically cleansed.
And yes, the adrenaline is no doubt a part of it. Your body responds to the rush of adrenaline into it, bringing with it a sense of excitement and a surge of energy. Our human bodies are made to produce adrenaline as a survival mechanism and it is being regarded more and more as a necessary part of the human experience and overall health. Something any skydiver could have already told you a long time ago.
Stepping out the door of a flying airplane has other benefits too. It makes you mentally tough. It takes a lot of mind control to go against what you have been taught about danger since a child, get a hold of your thoughts, and realize that yes, it is okay to step out that door. You acquire an increased awareness of all that is around you. You develop a confidence in yourself and a quick response as events happen around you. The sense of accomplishment is incredible. Knowing you met your fear, took control, and pushed yourself to take that step flows over into other parts of your life.
When I did my first skydive a group of us from work went. I organized the outing. Everyone had a blast but I was the only person who did more than one jump. Later, in talking with one of the guys in the group he said to me - I know that whatever I face in life, I can remember that I went up in that plane and did a skydive. If I can summon the courage to do that, I can do anything. It was great.
Okay, so enough of the
psychobabble mumbo jumbo. What is the sensation? When you step out the door of a flying airplane you are in freefall until the parachute is deployed. Most skydives are done from around 10,000 ft. to 14,000 ft. providing the skydiver anywhere from 30 seconds to 70 seconds of freefall time. Stick your arm out the window of a car doing 60 mph then imagine your whole body out there going twice as fast - then you start to get a little of the idea of what skydiving feels like.
No one I've ever talked to has been able to put into words the sensation of skydiving. Even asking first time jumpers - is there any way to describe what you just did - only elicits a wide-eyed, grinning, no way.
Freefall is such a stupendous sense of freedom. You are flying through the air, able to move your body in 3D. You can fly forward, back-up, move sideways, speed up how fast you are falling and slow down how fast you are falling. Yes, you are continually falling. But during that time you are definitely flying your body. You can do flips and twists. You can stand on your feet or stand on your head. There are absolutely no limits as to which direction you can move your body.
And let there be no doubt - there is not a plane around that can give you the same view. What an awesome sight to view 360 degrees around you - the sky, the horizon, the incredible beauty of the world, right there for you to see with no obstructions. To feel you are a part of that sky.
The parachute flies like a glider; responding to the pilot's input and slicing you through the sky. It can be flown slowly and smoothly or fast and wild. But either way, with correct pilot input, it would bring you safely and softly to landing on the earth.
Why do we skydive? Who will ever understand the beauty, the freedom, the rush but someone who has been there? Truly, the sky is our playground.
About The Author
Lori Steffen is an experienced skydiver who has won two medals in USA national skydiving championships, both in freestyle skydiving. Visit our site devoted to tandem sky diving at http://www.tandemskydivinginfo.com.
This article may be reproduced as long as the author and website - www.tandemskydivinginfo.com - are indentified as the source.
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Power Rankings: C's climbing fastESPN (blog)Paul Pierce, meanwhile, is about to pass Larry Legend as the second-leading scorer in team history. So why the glum faces, Bostonians?" Super Bowl jabs aside, it has to be encouraging for Celtics fans to see their team climbing so fast after all the ...and more » |
|
'Superman' busted after climbing statueHerald SunMaksim Katsnelson - whose past antics have included a "protest" against Donald Trump and a scuffle with police in Times Square - boldly climbed the bronze steed and sat on the saddle in front of America's first president for about 45 minutes as curious ...and more » |
|
Climbers staring at tall task in Oakbrook TerracerThe Doings Oak BrookBy Steve Schering Contributor February 6, 2012 11:52PM The 2012 Fight for Air Climb is taking place Sunday at the Oakbrook Terrace Tower and it's not too late to sign up as a team or individual. Climbers can choose to scale the 31-story tower's 680 ... |
|
