Down on the Pier
My dropzone is on Lake Erie, and Sunday after jumping we all decided to go to a pier on the lake, which is very close to the DZ. We piled 13 people in a VW van, and made it the short way without being arrested. With our 13 plus several other cars we had 20 or so people walking down to the end of the pier, getting suspicious looks all the way. I guess the beer we had with us didn't help (skydivers run on beer). So anyway, we got to the end of the pier and jumped off for a while. It's only about 10-12 feet, but high enough to give a bit of a rush. One guy has a boat moored fairly nearby, and he came along and a few of us swam out to meet him. There was some swimming back and forth between the pier and the boat as we ran a rope between the two. Finally, we tied a rope to the back of the boat, the other end being attached to a guy on the pier who was wearing an old round parachute he'd found somewhere. By this time we'd attracted the attention of 3/4 of the people on the pier, who mostly thought we were crazy but stuck around because we were providing such entertainment. Anyway, the boat powered away from the pier, the parachute started to lift off, and... the slipknot on the rope gave way. The guy on the parachute didn't quite drown, but we'd run out of daylight so round two'll have to wait for another day.
For a finale, 10 of us lined up and dove in one after another. The water was warm, the day still quite warm, and everyone had a great time. This is the kind of memory that makes summer so special for me.
For a finale, 10 of us lined up and dove in one after another. The water was warm, the day still quite warm, and everyone had a great time. This is the kind of memory that makes summer so special for me.