There isn’t a skydiver out there who hasn’t watched a competition of some type and wondered what it would be like to stand on the podium or train and compete alongside the best of the best.
If you’re like a lot of jumpers, you’ve thought “Nah… I’m just not that good”, or “I don’t have the discipline” or a dozen other reasons people give themselves to not give it a shot, but the truth is, every single world champion started at jump 1; and funny enough, lots of them used those same excuses right up until they didn’t. If you want it bad enough, there is simply no reason why you couldn’t compete, and just maybe win! The only thing you absolutely must have to be a competitor in skydiving is the desire.
“But how do I get started” you say? Well, your first step towards chasing those competition dreams is to find out exactly where your passions lie. Do you watch Arizona Airspeed with your jaw on the floor, wondering what it would be like to fly incredible four-way or eight-way formations? Have you watched videos of Team Airwax’s mind bending freefly routines and pictured yourself carving through the sky? Perhaps it’s the classics, and you day dream about style and accuracy, or is it the F-1 of skydiving that gets your heart racing, and all you want is a speed round in Canopy Piloting…
Just getting started and you don’t know which direction you want to go? why not try them all! The greatest part about our sport is the availability of coaching and skills camps in every discipline. It’s an amazing way to dip your toe into all of them, not only gaining valuable skills that will help throughout your entire career, but narrowing down which ones are your favorites. Once you’ve dialed in the ones you’re truly passionate about, it’s time to start doing your research and finding out who is available to help you along your path. With everything from skills camps for the masses, to one-on-one training with the world’s best, there is a wealth of knowledge for you to draw from.
The one piece of advice almost every world champion is bound to give is this: take your time. Work hard at perfecting the everyday skills we as skydivers need to keep ourselves safe, current and active. Talk to those that have gone before you and ask them what they’ve done right along the way and just as important, ask them what they’ve done wrong. They will most likely be the first to tell you those are the lessons that have taught them the most. Then, go get started!
Take the course. Get yourself a mentor. Work on building your skill set. Jump. Jump. Jump. And the most important… stay safe and have as much fun as possible along the way!
