bLogbook

Flyin’ Chicken takes to the Skies!

• Jumper: Gen M
• Jump #: Unknown Yet
• Date: Nov., 2010
• Altitude: Various
• In Her Words: See Below

“Three things that are MOST important about my journey. 

1. I skydive, give it everything I have to let go of ego and learn and truly become one with my body as I experience human flight.
2. I give back to others while doing this. Children are of utmost importance to me and more so those who begin life with challenges that others cannot even comprehend. Just maybe if they see someone doing what I am doing and helping them, they will not be afraid to chase their own dreams and will remember to help others when they grow. 
3. I document this all within my paintings. Intertwining it all into the story of the sport of skydiving as “a frightened little girl who grows to become her own person through the sky and her art.”

- excerpt from my journal March 2010 The day I came up with Dreams That Soar

There you have it in a nutshell!

This November 2010 women freeflyers from all over the world will descend upon Eloy AZ to attempt to make the largest all women vertical freely formation ever! I want to be on it and i want to paint it!

In order to accomplish this I have to train intensely for a few months as I am not current enough to participate at this moment in time. Therefore I came up with a trip where I train and paint and get some interesting documentary footage for a project I’m working on with Norman Kent. 

I have been working tirelessly to raise the funds to do it ever since. As it stands now i have raised $200 bux so I turned to the internet and a wonderful site called KickStarter to help out with it. KickStarter is great because people pledge even small amounts of $1!!! and unless the project gets 100% funded by the cut off date no money changes hands. If the project gets complete backing then all payments are processed through Amazon so completely safe as far as the internet goes!

This is a long shot but I tell you, I see myself traveling, skydiving and painting so I know it is going to work out somehow!

Of course I felt weird about asking for money for me to do what I love so I searched around for a local charity that is small and needs assistance with funding, I found it in The Teresa Group. Since they assist children infected with or affected by AIDS or HIV they were a perfect fit for the intentions I set out in my journal the first day. 

I’ve attached the images from my painting of the last women’s record. Norman Kent’s photograph (below) and my painting. So you get the idea of what it’s going to look like. The upcoming photo for the new record is going to be A LOT bigger, they are looking at upwards of 35 women for this one and the painting will be a relief more so than just a flat painting, so some big changes I’m really excited about.

If you have $1 you can put on your credit card to help out, just follow the link to the KickStarter page and pledge! I’m going for $1 from 55000 people! Let’s see how it goes! 

Blue ones,

Gen Montreuil

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Everyone here at Skydive Burnaby will miss you while you’re gone but your Dad will make up the jumps for you in your absence. :)

• Jumper: Nancy J
• Jump #: 1 = FIRST OF MANY!!
• Date: June 26, 2010
• Altitude: 14000 ft
• Hometown: Hamilton, On.
• In Her Words: See Below

I have to use my own words to describe this experience? That’s impossible.

You have to do it to know the feeling.

 My motto for life has been “If you’re not living life on the edge, you’re taking up too much space!”, and I am now taking up very, very little space in this world!!!!  And the “edge” has now moved to a different level and position as well….

 The week before the scheduled jump, I have to admit I was nervous especially since all my wimpy friends that were not coming with me kept asking me “What are you doing?” with looks of shock on their faces.  Good, that’s exactly the reaction I was looking for….LOL

Jump Day, up early, not like I could sleep anyways…way too excited!!  The weather didn’t really cooperate with our group but we all hung in there waiting for it to clear and it was well worth the wait.  Thank you Mother Nature!!

The instructors were thorough, and had just the right amount of humour to take any last minute jitters away.  My personal tandem instructor was awesome…confident, enthusiastic X 10, and full of smiles and laughs.  His sarcasm was appreciated and understood it all (there is really nothing worse than wasted sarcasm!!)  That’s just what I needed.  Do any skydivers have a bad day really?  I don’t think so….  Thanks PeeDee, you ROCK!!!

Watching that first diver leave the plane was when my adrenaline kicked in.  It was like receiving a shot of a totally legal and very powerful drug.  I was trembling, not from fear but from anticipation and excitement.  Ok, approach the door of the plane, remember to breath, oh and smile big for the camera…..away we gooooooooo!!

Thanks to my video and camera guy Eric too!!!!

OMG, that rush of wind and sound was overwhelming.  Someone had told me I would not be able to scream, but that is not true.  Just ask my tandem instructor…I was screaming!!!  Not from fear but from sheer joy, excitement, “awesome-ness”… 

The free fall was the MOST awesome experience I have had in my life.  No single word can describe that feeling.  The canopy opens after about a minute, and I found myself in a place that is both peaceful beyond belief, and edgy, all at the same time.

The views were awe-inspiring!!!  OMG, I am skydiving!!!!  And the level of wind noise was surprisingly very low… almost like an out of body experience…. floating where the birds go… Defying the rules of life as most know it… pushing the boundaries and not allowing them to push back… Living life on the edge…

By the time I landed on the ground, I was in tears.  Anyone that knows me knows that I do not cry like a girly-girl, so this event alone speaks volumes to the experience I had. They were not tears of fear, not tears of joy… it was an emotional reaction that I could not control, tears as a reaction to the adrenaline rushing through my veins, my body was shaking due to the overload of adrenaline - Mother Nature’s drug of choice for sure!!! 

Everyone at Burnaby was excellent and added to the overall experience.  I felt safe and secure at all times.  Thanks to everyone that helped to make my day a great one, especially to PeeDee, my tandem instructor. (You were right, PeeDee, it was SOOOO much better that scraping the pegs on the bike, but don’t worry… I won’t be getting rid of the bike anytime soon.  I will ride it to Burnaby for my next dive!!!)

I have now found a new “edge” and I WILL BE BACK!!!!  

 Nancy J.

PS:  It is now 3 days since my jump…still can’t sleep because of Mother Nature’s drug (adrenaline), and still have goose bumps.  What a RUSH!!!!

See you guys in a couple weeks.

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We’re glad you loved it Nancy and to answer the question you asked earlier…

“Do any skydivers have a bad day really?”

Answer. “Of course. When we can’t jump.”

Here is our first (BEER!) bLogbook entry and we want to thank Kimberly for her energetic spirit and her perfect description of her First Skydive! To enlarge Kimberly’s photo, mouse-over the picture and click on the ‘Magnifying Glass’. Enjoy!

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• Jumper: Kimberly H
• Jump #: 1 = What A Ride!!
• Date: June 19, 2010
• Altitude: 14000 ft
• Hometown: Toronto, On.
• In Her Words: See Below

Two words – Bucket List

I’ve always wanted to go skydiving and finally did my FIRST JUMP!  The sheer exhilaration of the free fall was more than I’d dreamed it would be, and I was completely taken aback by the hypnotic, zen-like experience once the chute opened and I took in the spectacular views over Lake Erie!  Well worth the drive from Toronto!

Skydive Burnaby was highly recommended and they didn’t disappoint. From the staff in the manifest office, to the instructors and camera crew, every single person made our day more fun.  Special thanks to my team, Pete and Jeff, who kept me laughing the entire time!

We were the last group to leave the plane and I really didn’t believe them when they told me the plane would nose-dive when we jumped.  I was in such awe when we jumped I forgot to watch for it, and I’m so happy I got the photos and video. This is now my favourite picture - simply breathtaking!

The folks at Skydive Burnaby take safety seriously and due to some unlucky weather days it took us a few tries before we were finally able launch into the sky, but the wait was worth it!  We all came down safe and sound, and absolutely ecstatic!  I’m still pumped!

 My first jump was a once in a lifetime experience but I already know I’ll be jumping again, and when I do, it’ll be with Skydive Burnaby!

Get busy living or get busy dying!  WHAT A RIDE!!

Kimberly H

Toronto

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Thanks again Kimberly. Just so you know, when you do something for the ‘First Time’ in the skydiving community you owe a ‘Case Of Beer’. We’ll let you off this time :)