The future of Sport Skydiving (how do you fit in?)

Having been in a position, as manager of a skydive clothing company, to get out and about and to events such as the Equinox Boogie, the PIA symposium, NZ nationals etc etc, one thing is clear and is a problem, not just here in New Zealand, but the world over. Number's of skydivers actively in the sport, are declining at a fairly alarming rate.

I have sat and wandered how can it be that people aren't queueing up in their millions to learn how to fly in the sky, free as a bird and then hang around and party with a bunch of awesome people..

It seems there are many theories, and Tandems seem to be the scapegoat, but I wander if we are letting ourselves down by not making enough of a personal effort to get other people involved. Have you taken any time recently to cajole, bribe or coerce your non-skydiving freinds into coming to hang out with you at the Dropzone? Or taken one of your valuable jump tickets and gone and done a jump with that New Guy, who only just got of AFF??

It is really easy to Blame evryone and everything else for what is happening to our sport, but if we as individuals are not prepared to try and make a difference, no matter on how small a level it might seem, the really we don't have any right to complain..

Just a thought, what does everyone else think??

geezer wrote:

what does everyone else think??

I think its too easy to 'blame' tandems. They actually mean that today more people than ever are making a skydive and so the potential number of skydivers is bigger!!!.

I did a tandem, then decided that I would like to skydive and did AFF etc. I have a friend who did about 30 skydives 20 years ago at cowslip valley Marlborough. He saw a video of me skydiving with Anthony S and decided that it would be great to do some more. Went along to the DZ (Motueka) and did AFF level 1. Really enjoyed it, but then was reluctant to do more. The reason - he couldn't be bothered with all of the waiting around, quote "it was boring"

What's my point? I think that today people are into instant gratification and skydiving, like may sports, has alot of down-time.

Personally that's why I like skydiving, even on quiet days it nice to have a break from the rat-race and just chill.

Blue skies.

Hi Mate, you make a good point about the downtime..I personally have a severly low boredom threshold and am often seriously stuck looking for something to do on a weather hold or when waiting for a load...perhaps that is something DZ's need to look at, ie, something to keep people entertained in between GO time!!

Hi guys..

I found this forum and thought.. why not participate?

So here goes..

I'm 18 years old, living in Denmark(norther Europe) and I skydive as much as I can. I currently have 25 jumps and I am looking foward to having many more this summer.

I havn't been around inthe sport for so long, but I am in love with it already.
The downtime is not a problem for me. I find hanging out and helping other students pack, talking to my instructors, watching landings or just dooing nothing quite allright.

I have plenty of exams during the next month or so, but I will still try to make time to jump.

In the future I hope to travel to the states and work at a DZ(Just to try it out - it could maybe my true calling? who knows?)
I've gotten one of my friends into the sport and another one comming up.
They too are very exited about it, and my non-jumping friend really tries to get started.

thats all for me for now.

Hope to eventually see you guys up there?

Blue skies..

Nicolai

Hey Nicolai,

Awesome to hear from you Dude, all I would say is, think very, very carefully, about working in the sport, rather than having it as a hobby. I know it seems like the ideal thing, to be doing skydiving everyday, and getting paid for it, but trust me on this one my freind, most people, who I have known, who work in the sport, do not spend much time sport skydiving and doing fun jumps. The thing you love to do at the moment, quickly loses its appeal, and becomes just another J.O.B...That said, I also know a select few, who have managed to find a balance between work jumping, and fun jumping...don't want to rain on your parade my friend, just be careful what you wish for!!

This has also been one of my considerations, and I fear that skydiving might get boring(even though it sounds very unlikely at the moment;-)
That is why I am thinking of doing when I am through with highschool. If I am in the foreign country and realizes that, "FUCK IT - I'll never pack another chute exept my own this summer", I can still head back to Denmark and start my education.
I just don't wanna sit as 60 year old and wonder how it COULD have been. If you know what I mean...?

Cheers mate, none ofence taken..

Blue skies..

Nicolai

try a real job first mate, it will help with the boredom when throwing drogues and filming the dudes that do........nothing like having a sound skill to fall back on, also the true understanding of what real work is!!

Hi guys, My first time on the comments board. Im a newb. Only 71 jumps to my name sofar. I was very interested to hear about the decline of jumpers, I too am supprised that people arent lining up to do AFF. So far I have gotten two people into the sport as well as shout my 62 year old mum a tandem. I also like the Idea of more experienced jumpers spending a little more time encouraging us less experienced guys and girls by actually saying yes when asked to go for a fun 2way or some such thing, although I love the sport I do (not always) feel a little left out at some DZ's(not a moan just an observation). this however does not deter my passion for what I believe to be the best sport ever, with some of the most interesting, fun, diverse people Ive ever met.

I get bored sometimes too, especially between loads at small dz with a cessna, i think if i had a dz i would buy lots of tv's, xbox, playstations, and maybe some computers so people could get on the internet,

and/or create an area for bands to play, you could host shows during the week even when there is no one skydiving, and then on the weekends book the big bands, this would intoduce non-skydivers to skydivers

while we're at it why not build a skatepark next door to the dz, imagine all the high school kids hanging out at the skatepark all the while geting exposed to skydiving, then by the time they are of age they will be ready to skydive, skater type kids are ideal skydiving candidates
but skydiving is mostly unknown to them, we need to find our target audience and advertise to them, just like tobacco companys