Local Mother, Daughters Try Skydiving
20/09/2008 05:21
A Whole New Experience
For Local
Women
SINC SAYS:
During a routine e-mail exchange recently, I discovered that Bad Girlz clothing owner Barb Freysteinson had gone skydiving. I was fascinated by the prospect of a mature woman jumping out of a small plane and asked Barb if she might share her experience with St. Albert’s Place readers. she graciously agreed and put together this first person account. Thanks for sharing your story Barb!
SINC SAYS:
During a routine e-mail exchange recently, I discovered that Bad Girlz clothing owner Barb Freysteinson had gone skydiving. I was fascinated by the prospect of a mature woman jumping out of a small plane and asked Barb if she might share her experience with St. Albert’s Place readers. she graciously agreed and put together this first person account. Thanks for sharing your story Barb!
(That's Barb in
the upper left photo and daughter Brandy in
the lower right. Click on pictures to see
larger images.)
By Barb Freysteinson
This summer I decided to try something that I’ve spoken of doing lots in the past.
Skydiving.
I did some research and decided that Eden North was the place for me to try it. (Okay, to be honest, I looked through the staff photos and saw a bunch of cuties there, so decided if I’m going to die, I want the last person I see to be HOT!)
After e-mailing them a few times I booked tandem jumps for my two daughters and my girlfriend.
It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon that we were out there. They sat us down and had us fill out forms and watch a video on the dos and don’ts of tandem jumping. Then we were free to wander until our turn came to gear up.
I headed for the parachute packing area to watch how parachutes are packed. To see if it was complicated and room for error or pretty straight forward. Everyone there seemed very skilled at packing their chutes.
They paged us and we went in to gear up and meet our instructors who would be tied to us.
The plane ride through the field was bumpy but just a small detail when you think that soon you will be jumping out of the plane.
We got airborne and Dean, my instructor showed me his wrist altimeter as we climbed.
When I saw how far his dial had to go before our time to deplane, it hit me just how high up we’d be. 12,500 feet.
Dean asked me how I wanted to leave the plane. Backwards so I can watch the plane leave? NO! Head first? NO!
I asked him if we could go out with the least amount of movement. The gentlest way possible. He probably began to wish he had someone braver tied to him at this point. Two solo jumpers jumped before our turn came up. One was Dean’s 16 year old son.
I’ve never seen anyone jump out of a plane that I was in so as they jumped, you could hear their clothing flap in the wind and then they quickly dropped below the plane. That really unnerved me, but Dean was scooting us towards the door so no time for second thoughts.
We jumped out sideways, and yes, as we fell backwards I saw the plane leave. I changed my mind the second he let go of the plane, but what can you do? Call the pilot to come back?
Then we did a few barrel rolls and one summersault. There was no up or down at this point. It seemed like we were inside a big gray cloud.
He opened the small chute (beats me what it does. I heard it slows us down so when the big chute opens, it won’t get ripped in the wind. Good idea!) and we stabilized, then took the skydiving position of arms out, hips arched back.
After the plane left there was silence other than the wind ripping past my ears. That’s when I realized what I did. I was falling to the ground.
It seemed like an eternity before Dean took mercy and opened the parachute. My tummy did a flip as we slowed down from our mile and half free fall. When we could hear, Dean asked me how I liked it.
I replied that I’ve never been more frightened in my life and asked how he could do it over 3,000 times.
That’s when I realized who I was tied to. A hero!
Not only does he serve our country in the military, but somehow talks himself into doing that for that many times. I heard he is or was a Skyhawk. Plus he admits it still gets him going a bit too. Something none of the younger guys would admit.
We drifted back down to the ground calmly, mostly because Dean had such a chicken tied to him. He was so wonderful at calming me down though. Everyone else had already landed even though we jumped out first.
Our landing wasn’t exactly the “tiptoe” landing that I was expecting. Perhaps I shouldn’t have distracted him with a question right before the landing.
My hands were sweating every time I thought about skydiving for about a week after. Then it went away and I missed the adrenaline rush.
I would highly recommend Eden North for any other adventurous souls. They are very safety conscious and run their jump site very professionally.
We are going back next year! Again and again! We’re hooked!
By Barb Freysteinson
This summer I decided to try something that I’ve spoken of doing lots in the past.
Skydiving.
I did some research and decided that Eden North was the place for me to try it. (Okay, to be honest, I looked through the staff photos and saw a bunch of cuties there, so decided if I’m going to die, I want the last person I see to be HOT!)
After e-mailing them a few times I booked tandem jumps for my two daughters and my girlfriend.
It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon that we were out there. They sat us down and had us fill out forms and watch a video on the dos and don’ts of tandem jumping. Then we were free to wander until our turn came to gear up.
I headed for the parachute packing area to watch how parachutes are packed. To see if it was complicated and room for error or pretty straight forward. Everyone there seemed very skilled at packing their chutes.
They paged us and we went in to gear up and meet our instructors who would be tied to us.
The plane ride through the field was bumpy but just a small detail when you think that soon you will be jumping out of the plane.
We got airborne and Dean, my instructor showed me his wrist altimeter as we climbed.
When I saw how far his dial had to go before our time to deplane, it hit me just how high up we’d be. 12,500 feet.
Dean asked me how I wanted to leave the plane. Backwards so I can watch the plane leave? NO! Head first? NO!
I asked him if we could go out with the least amount of movement. The gentlest way possible. He probably began to wish he had someone braver tied to him at this point. Two solo jumpers jumped before our turn came up. One was Dean’s 16 year old son.
I’ve never seen anyone jump out of a plane that I was in so as they jumped, you could hear their clothing flap in the wind and then they quickly dropped below the plane. That really unnerved me, but Dean was scooting us towards the door so no time for second thoughts.
We jumped out sideways, and yes, as we fell backwards I saw the plane leave. I changed my mind the second he let go of the plane, but what can you do? Call the pilot to come back?
Then we did a few barrel rolls and one summersault. There was no up or down at this point. It seemed like we were inside a big gray cloud.
He opened the small chute (beats me what it does. I heard it slows us down so when the big chute opens, it won’t get ripped in the wind. Good idea!) and we stabilized, then took the skydiving position of arms out, hips arched back.
After the plane left there was silence other than the wind ripping past my ears. That’s when I realized what I did. I was falling to the ground.
It seemed like an eternity before Dean took mercy and opened the parachute. My tummy did a flip as we slowed down from our mile and half free fall. When we could hear, Dean asked me how I liked it.
I replied that I’ve never been more frightened in my life and asked how he could do it over 3,000 times.
That’s when I realized who I was tied to. A hero!
Not only does he serve our country in the military, but somehow talks himself into doing that for that many times. I heard he is or was a Skyhawk. Plus he admits it still gets him going a bit too. Something none of the younger guys would admit.
We drifted back down to the ground calmly, mostly because Dean had such a chicken tied to him. He was so wonderful at calming me down though. Everyone else had already landed even though we jumped out first.
Our landing wasn’t exactly the “tiptoe” landing that I was expecting. Perhaps I shouldn’t have distracted him with a question right before the landing.
My hands were sweating every time I thought about skydiving for about a week after. Then it went away and I missed the adrenaline rush.
I would highly recommend Eden North for any other adventurous souls. They are very safety conscious and run their jump site very professionally.
We are going back next year! Again and again! We’re hooked!