Used a skydiving reference for this. I think it turned out pretty good.
Nice! Sky surfing is pretty rare these days compared to its heyday.
I had no idea. So you think the squirrel suit killed it?
I’m sure that’s part of it. A big portion just goes to the mechanics of skydiving though, which is why the wing suits are ‘better.’
The most stable (and first taught) position is belly-to-earth. Head up, head down, and sit flying are more advanced and you don’t learn them until you’ve gotten comfortable flying with others on your belly. To sky surf, you’d already have to be decently advanced into the sport, and by then you’ve gotten quite proficient at moving around in the sky. The board doesn’t add much agility to your movements, in fact, you might fly better on your belly, so you’d have to be doing it just for the unique experience. Since it will be a more niche part of an already niche community, that means less competitors in events or buddies to jaw around with about it; there just isn’t as much reason to go into it. Wing suits will appeal to the same sense of wanting to ‘soar’ while adding a lot to the experience: much more movement horizontally, much longer fly times (2-3x as long between jump and pull), and a really large community to fall into.
I haven’t seen a board in the sky at my drop zone in at least two years, so it’s cool to see some art of it.
Thank you for all of that. It makes s ton of sense and I like the inside scoop.
I’ve only been skydiving once on my son’s 18th birthday and then I was strapped to another man.
I want to go again, just trying to convince my wife to join me!
Do it! The tandem is an exhilarating experience. Even in all my other adrenaline and fun pursuing, nothing quite comes close. Once you do the license course and start jumping with one or two fellas holding you, it’s even better, and then when you’re truly jumping on your own, it’s like nothing else again! Eventually it will be less about adrenaline and more about excitement and peace. Yep, peace. Most of us will tell you that at the moment you jump, everything just sort of falls away. It’s partially the adrenaline, I’m sure, but you’re just focused on the moment and your plan and your friends nearby who are coordinating with you. Imagine the fun of a choreographed dance, but you’re falling through a beautiful blue sky, eh?
I love everything you said! I’m going to jump again at least once before it gets cold.
