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Safety Check There can be a fine line between a prodigy
and an accident victim in this sport. Often, only time will tell
which way a promising new jumper will go. At many if not most DZs, skydiving culture
encourages jumpers toward milestones earlier than others before
them. And in that same culture, risk-taking is promoted as freedom
of expression and a sign of a soaring spirit. The sport attracts
the kind of people who don't believe in the limits others choose
to live with, and most don't like to be told what they can and can't
do. The same system that gives skydivers the
freedom they demand makes it hard to deal with someone who is just
a little ahead of his game. What protects and promotes the budding
skydiving visionary works against someone who has more imagination
and confidence than ability. The accident report trends are now almost
institutional. It's not like seasoned skydivers don't know what
happens when new jumpers go too fast. But too often, skydiving's
strongly rooted culture prevents experienced jumpers and even drop
zone owners-the ultimate authorities at the DZ-from stepping in.
They don't want to appear stodgy or old. They don't want to stand
in the way of progress. But fear of criticism sometimes gets in
the way of safety and what's good for all concerned. Is it better
to risk being seen as a killjoy or a meddler or to risk seeing a
jumper get seriously hurt? Each jumper influences the activities
at the DZ. So each jumper has to regularly ask himself that question. It's been said that a novice jumper who
is asking questions about gear and other aspects of the sport that
require judgment or choice will eventually get the answer he wants.
Whether it's a small canopy, a reserve procedure or how to execute
a certain technique or stunt, somebody will sell him the canopy
he wants or tell him how to take a head-down grip with no questions
asked about prior experience or training. This sport isn't in any danger of losing its flavor for individual freedom. However, the wolf is at the door as a result of allowing things to go too far. We, the jumpers at the drop zone this weekend, have to take responsibility for skydiving's survival. We have to know when to say no to ourselves and others-and then say it. --Kevin Gibson |