What is a Pro Pass? Well, remember the all-you-can-eat buffets? You pay X amount and stack up your plate as high as you can of whatever goodness is on those buffet lines and eat your heart out. *Woah*… The memories that just flooded in: It’s 1999 and you just made your third vanilla and chocolate swirl ice cream bowl with sprinkles and brownie bites and Cher is playing over the speakers. Woof. ‘Merica. Okay, okay back to business. Well, the CSC Pro Pass is similar. You’re dedicating yourself to jumping as much as your heart desires, so long as the plane is flying and the weather is shining. Sounds like a dream, right?
This is only my fourth season at CSC, so I don’t have ages of experience watching the Pro Passers like others at the dz, but I sure have witnessed some serious jumpers coming to dedicate themselves. Whether you’re pro-passing on the weekends or dedicating the whole season, there’s a few tips I can pass on.
Take care of your overall health
Hear me out. There are a lot of different types of people who come to jump at CSC, but a Pro Passer is a little different… Unless you’re local, you are most likely taking a break from your job, living out of a tent or a team room and cooking every meal from a camp stove or eating out. And if you’re doing this for a whole season, rain or shine, that adds another level to the experience. Add in jumping from first to last load everyday and then let’s be honest… Most likely taking part in post-ops recreation - the odds are, your health can slip past you. Maybe not necessarily physically, although I have seen it, but maybe mentally and emotionally. Keep yourself in check. You don’t want to get burnt out mid-season when the jumping conditions are at their best. You definitely don’t want to injure yourself that would halt your season because you didn’t get enough sleep the night before… Or the last few nights before. Try to find a routine that works for you, so you can stay strong for those jumps you’re dedicating this time in your life to!
Remember quality over quantity
Okay, so this one is a little different than you’re going to initially expect. GET THOSE JUMPS IN! Quantity is the point! Get on any jump you can because no matter what style it is, it will only make you better. But I think this is one of the most important tools of advice: Remember that just because your logbook numbers are climbing, it doesn’t always mean your experience level is on the same page.
The CSC Pro Pass is an awesome experience and an incredible tool. That being said, I’ve also watched it time and time again, especially if you’re coming into it with lower jump numbers - you can get ahead of yourself. Why do I mention low jump numbers? Well, of course this can happen to anyone! (Trust me, it does.) But with more time in the sport, you have had the opportunity to get your ego checked. You’ve had the time to see other’s ego’s get checked, as well. You’ve had time to see the other side of skydiving outside of the general stoke factors! So, when we talk about quality over quantity, what I really mean is - what is the quality of my experience at that moment? What am I learning? How can I continue to grow? Am I learning the sport outside of just the jumping? I’m here to remind you that although 300, 500, even 1000 jumps seems like a lot, I promise you that you’re just beginning to scratch the surface! And when these jump numbers happen rapidly in a short period of time, sometimes the knowledge of the entirety of the sport might not match the numbers you’ve accumulated. So, with all of that being said, I guess it all boils down to humility and continuing to grow with every jump. The most important rule I learned when I first started jumping was: Complacency kills.
Put yourself out there!
Being a Pro Passer is such a rare experience in the world of skydiving. Not very many people get to take the time to solely focus on building their skills in the sport, let alone if you’re coming from a different place where you don’t know anyone at the dropzone and are completely new, fresh and open to what’s to come. Take advantage of it! Take advantage of everything CSC has to offer. There is so much to learn from the experienced flyers to the experienced staff. Between the weekend events and the daily community, you will fill yourself with a whole new understanding of what skydiving means (in my opinion) because we’re so lucky to have such a good group of people here. Even the facilities alone are an incredible way of understanding how a skydiving operation truly works and what it takes to be a successful dropzone! Take the time to talk with the owner, Doug, and the Operations Manager, Chris, because they are some of the most genuine skydivers you’ll ever meet and have a wealth of knowledge and experience under their belts. All I’m saying is, take this opportunity to completely immerse yourself and learn everything you can about this amazing sport. Put yourself out there to talk with everyone around and hear their stories and most importantly - ask to jump with them! Plus, immersing yourself not only will enhance our experience, but also adds to the last point of quality over quantity.
If you’re considering the CSC Pro Pass, whether it’s for the entire season or just one month or the even only weekends, DO IT! Every person’s story is different, so come create yours and find out what comes of it. There will be highs and lows, but that’s the only thing we can expect in skydiving, right? Get out here and we’ll see you soon!