i81: September 2016

Cover Photo | Daniel Schiermeyer

Featured Photo | Jason Hanson

The FlyBy

Reader Question: Should we be growing the sport(s)?
Sunset Boogie: Nightless Night Skydiving over Finland | Heidi Lindewall
Aspire | Laura Wagner

Photo Interview: Solly Williams | Zach Lewis

I was and often still am very surprised that I ended up making a living in the sport. I was pretty adamant I wouldn’t be working in skydiving long term.

Photo Interview: Solly Williams

High Jinks, Part XIV | James L. Hayhurst

This flight was our most elegant performance. We performed our checks and preps like weathered surgeons breaking seals and reconnecting them in ways that may result in a death if done incorrectly—like a bypass operation with steady hands over cheap coffee in Styrofoam cups.

Centerfold | Andrew Revesz jointheteem.com

Pure Joy: Sharing the sky with the Freefall Foundation | Mara Schmid

“There is great metaphoric power in jumping out of a plane,” says Justine. “You feel powerful, fearless, limitless. If you can jump out of a plane, you can do anything. The feeling is liberating … you feel ready to take on anything. It’s pure joy.”

Pure Joy: Sharing the Sky with the Free-Fall Foundation

Big Moment in the Sun | James La Barrie

Here’s the truth: this stunt/jump/skydive (insert your opinion here) was awesome for the sport. The world gathered around the proverbial water cooler and talked about that skydiver with 18,000 jumps and the biggest brass balls ever who lived to say he’d consider doing it again!

+Turning Points+ Chasing Gold Medals: French Coach Marin Ferre | Kurt Gaebel, NSL

Imagine: since the beginning of modern formation skydiving competition (1985), France has always brought home a set of 4-way medals. In fact, they were always gold or silver medals—until 2012 when Airspeed and HayaBusa took the first two places.

Just Another Jumper | The Fuckin’ Pilot

From doctors, lawyers, waiters, bartenders, strippers, nurses, sommeliers, writers, welfare recipients, accountants, teachers, businessmen and women, surfers, rock climbers, cyclists, pilots, cops AND drug dealers, skydiving brings together one crazy variety of people.

Just Another Jumper

Nothing But Net | Melanie Curtis

I am one of the most risk-averse skydivers and stunt people I know. My filters are fierce, both from personal predisposition and literal experience, so it takes something for anyone to get an envelope-pressing stunt past my safety-skewed watchful eye.

SkyGod

Don’t die.

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