Saturday
I checked the weather around 9am, and I checked for a Facebook post about the weather, but there were no encouraging signs. So, I started my day not really knowing what I was going to do.
By mid-afternoon, after some shopping and other assorted activities, I decided I'd make my way down to the DZ, thinking that maybe I would even stay the night. But, then I remembered that I had not brought anything to make sleeping comfortable, so I assumed I'd just go for the party and then head home.
When I got to the DZ around 3pm, the sun was shining and the winds were light, and apparently had been that way since around 11am. I decided I was going to jump, so I give Sarah my CC, picked up a rig and jumpsuit and walked toward the packing area. Franz was there, and being that he's a new diver too, I asked him if he wanted to jump with me. We agreed and we got ourselves manifested onto the next load.
Just as I was getting things together, Katerina C. asked us what we were doing, and asked us if we wanted to do a 4-way that she was trying to organize. Apparently she hasn't had much experience organizing, so there were a lot of false starts in terms of planning, but in the end we figured it out. We'd exit as a 3-way with a floater that would swoop and dock. Jan was to be the floater since he had the most experience, and the rest of us would be in the base. We would then break the base into an accordian and switch back and forth between the accordian and the star. We dirt-dived several times, but I still wasn't really certain if everyone knew what we were supposed to do. We got our 5 minute call and suited up and headed to the plane.
Jump 48
The 3-Way exit was OK, but Jan took forever to find a slot. He circled around us two or three times before he finally docked next to me. Katerina gave the nod and we started to go into the accordian. Almost immediately Franz broke off and couldn't get back to the group. At some point I broke off, I don't recall how it happened, but I tried to get back, but wasn't able. I was below Katerina and Jan, and no amount of trying to grab air seemed to slow my fallrate enough to get back to level with them. At 6K, when it was obvious redocking wasn't going to happen, I waved off, turned and tracked. I had a great landing, with very good accuracy (10ft.)
I got myself manifested on the next load and was excited about going up again, and Katerina was organizing another jump. But the clouds rolled in and it became evident that no more jumping was going to be happening, but that meant that the party was about to begin.
The party got going around 7pm when the DJ and food arrived. There weren't many people at the party, which was kind of disappointing given that it was my first Boogie. Most of the instructors took off just after eating, and I knew few of of those who remained. Regardless, I had brought several bottles of Pliny the Elder, so I enjoyed the beer while everyone else was busy hitting the keg and I enjoyed the conversations with the folks around me.
Sunday
It was bright and sunny around 9am when I arrived at the DZ. As I walked toward the office I heard Sarah announce that load 2 was on a 10 minute call. I proferred my CC, ordered up a day rental and had my jumps put on the day's tab. I grabbed a rig and wandered over to the fun-jumper's packing area. That's when I saw Jake K. We talked about jumping together, but less than a few seconds after we agreed what we were going to do, Matt Lewis asked us if we wanted to jump with him. We made a plan to do a train exit with Matt at the head, Jake in the middle and I at the back side. After a few dirt dives, we got ourselves manifested and waited around for the call.
Jump 49
3-way with Jake and Matt Lewis.
Train exit.
Got whipped around. Jake dropped and I held on to him. We whipped around for a bit and then I let go of him. Matt and I docked. Jake came in, docked on matt, but couldn't get both arms.
Jake lost it again and Matt and I did a Horney Gorrilla before finally breaking off and tracking.
Jump 50
6-Way Hybrid organized by Matt Lewis.
3 in base (Jake K, myself and Matt. )
Exit went well, we stayed together.
3 divers tried to swoop and grab ahold of our leg straps. Only two got in. After it was clear she wasn't going to make it, the other two went into their sit which dramatically sped things up.
Jump 51
12-Way Hybrid.
Jake, I, Rigo and Shad were the base. Matt L., Erika, Mu, and one other jumper docked to leg straps. 4 Stingers came in and docked to leg grips. The four on the leg straps went into a sit. The change in velocity was incredible! The stingers broke off at 5500, the sitflyers at 5000 and the base at 4500. I turned, tracked and pulled at 3500
Jump 52
Jake and I. Julien H. came along to watch.
Jake and I tried to do a propeller, and finally got it a bit, but I felt like I was having to throw him around to make it work.
After we broke, I docked with Julien briefly.
Jump 53
Julien and I. Horney Gorilla exit and fly. Then we broke and I tried a sit, but couldn't get into it.
Good landing, about 30 feet from target.
Jump 54
Allie G, David G, me.
The exit was horrible, with Allie flipping over and landing top of me, back to back. I flipped us around and tried to get us into a propeller.
We weren't turning very much in the propeller, and I was trying to make make the spin go faster. After a brief stint, I undocked and David swooped in and docked with Allie.
With Allie being significantly lighter than me, her fall rate was much slower than mine. She and David were above me by about 20 feet leaving me to wait for them to come to me while I was trying to grab as much air as possible, but we never made it. Finally, just before break-off, David swooped down to me, tapped my hand and we broke off.
Horrible, long landing.
Jump 55
Solo jump with flips and turns.
Bumpy air on landing.
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