i89: May 2017

Cover Photo | Guru Khalsa

Featured Photo | Maksim Slobodian

Maksim Slobodian catches his reflection in Matthew Morici’s visor above Skydive DeLand in Florida. Photo by Maksim Slobodian.

The FlyBy

• Industry News: Fluid Wings Releases the AirWolf, Cookie Releases Fuel Cutaway Chinstrap, Parachute Systems Completes Vortex
  Rig Replacement, Vertical Suits Turns Ten
• Reader Question: What scares you?
• Take It DZ | Nadene Beyerbach, Adventure Creative
• Sugar Alpha Volume 2 by Melissa Lowe {indiegogo}
• BPA Skydive the Expo | James “Macca” Macdonald

Skydive Jurien Bay’s Asian Invasion | Greg Whitehead

Living in Singapore has its perks, however the lack of a home drop zone means we have to travel to get our altitude fix. After speaking with the very accommodating and hospitable owners of Skydive Jurien Bay [in Australia] it was a decision easily made. Not expecting such a large group, drop zone owner Pete Lonnon says the Asian Invasion was “the boogie they didn’t quite know they were having!”

Paragliding Accuracy World Cup: My Experience | Jimmy Giroux

I got really annoyed at myself—even if I had about 100 hours of ground handling and could take off anywhere, I had problems spot landing which is really needed in my country. I decided that I was going to learn precision landing and join the Paragliding Accuracy World Cup to really push myself to learn.

CRW: A Blue Skies Mag Photo Essay

Centerfold | Mark “Trunk” Kirschenbaum {Hypoxic}

Ryan Devitt flies straight down the runway at Meadow Peak Skydiving during the Lost Prairie Boogie in 2016.

Your First BASE Gear | Joe Putrino, Apex BASE

One jumper will tell you what they jump is the only safe and reliable system on the planet, while another jumper may point at that same gear and proclaim it “black death.”

Judging Wingsuiters | Missy Keough

I lined up my co-worker Steve Hubbard and the ruler of the Hubbard house, Alix Raymond, for an inside scoop to the hows and whys of wingsuit judging.

Don’t Settle For Good | James La Barrie {Dropzone Marketing}

We’ve been made to believe that excellence or greatness is glamorous. It isn’t.

To be excellent is to love the mundane.

Don’t Settle For Good

+Turning Points+ Belgian Invasion | Kurt Gaebel, NSL

So, HayaBusa has invaded the 4-way world, but did anybody think that Belgium could also produce an 8-way team at the same time that would become dangerous? I didn’t—at least not until HayaBusa decided to enter the 8-way world as well.

Primal Fuckin’ Fear | The Fuckin’ Pilot

For me, anything past a humble little 270 on my Velo is past my personal comfort zone and, for lack of a better word, scares me. … For others, the thought of being anywhere near a Velo in flight is an absolutely terrifying prospect and so they act accordingly and stay the fuck away.

Primal Fuckin’ Fear

The Great Christmas Travel Debacle of 2006 | Melanie Curtis

Most of the elements of travel debacles are entirely out of our control, and like anything that is out of our control, if we attach our happiness and peace to it, we set ourselves up for that anxiety that we may end up unhappy or in whatever pain we deem will be derived from the suboptimal outcome.

SkyGod

So, minions, Skygod’s belated Safety Day 2017 message: Stay safe, use common sense, and if you see an idiot on your load, dick-punch them HARD at the get-it-on call.

Advertisers

If you’re in the market for stuff of any kind, buying from these guys (and letting them know you saw them in Blue Skies Mag) will help keep the mags coming to your door.

Art in Advertising: Issue 89, May 2017

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