Touch The Sky

Skydiving was always one of those extreme sports I thought was interesting but would never do. I mean I have enough excitement in my life right? Or maybe it has something to do from jumping from a plane from two and a half miles up. But when my cousin Kristin decided to get a group of people together to celebrate her birthday, it was something I knew I had to do – after all, I couldn’t have my sweet 20 year cousin show me up!

As time came closer to jumping, I and everyone around me seemed pretty calm. Maybe we all had to rationalize that statistically skydiving is really safe. There’s a greater likelihood of getting into a fender bender driving to the drop site. The place I jumped from is located in Williamstown NJ, less than 30 miles south of Philadelphia. It’s apparently the biggest skydiving company in the Northeast. First time divers jump in tandem with certified divers. My instructor’s name was “Pancake”, which of course got me wondering why he has that name.

What’s most memorable for me are the moments before and after the point of no return: that first step into nothingness at 12,000 feet. The first moment is disbelief. The next moment is terror. The next moment is awe-struckness. For the first time you can see a true panorama of God’s great earth, sky and horizon with nothing to obstruct your view.

The initial rush of accelerating to 120mph is like nothing even close I’ve experienced with a roller coaster. That free fall feeling is many more times intense. For starters most of you body is totally exposed. It was louder than I ever could have imagined. Everything is happening so fast in what felt to be the longest minute of my life. Flesh is being pushed back like in those old school pilot training centrifuge videos. The only point moving reference is Nikki, the diver photographing my jump. We reach hands outstretched and spin. We let go and she’s gone in an instant.

I proceed to do goofy things like trying to swim with my arms and assume martial arts poses against the resistance of the wind all while I’m screaming like a little girl all the way down. This is fun – no this is ultra wicked I don’t want this to stop fun! All of the sudden Pancake grabs me left arm and raises my hand to my face to show me the altimeter strapped to my wrist. I for the life of me can’t read what it said but it was probably 5000 feet. Attentive students during the orientation would recall that’s the sign for it’s time to pull that orange rip cord – right side hip. Umm, nope. I was just too disoriented and Pancake did the honors. All of the sudden the chute opens and there’s a dramatic de-acceleration. Thank goodness the harness was not designed like a thong or else it would have been the biggest atomic wedgie ever!

And just like that there was total silence. There was no hum of anything mechanical anywhere. Just peace and total tranquility – until Pancake decides to take a few left and right cuts on the way down and all of the sudden I’m reminded of that donut I had for breakfast. With each turn, I could feel the G’s of my body against the bottom sides of the harness. It’s really given me an appreciation for pilots who do crazy acrobatics and the physical stresses they must put their bodies through.

Four minutes pass which seems like a lifetime but happens too quickly. The landing field is approaching. And just like that, we make two steps on to earth and the amazing journey ends. I have never experienced anything more thrilling and exhilarating. This is a life affirming experience.