Perhaps one of the most accomplished skydivers to call SDMW home is Mr. Elliot Byrd. You might know him from the absolutely incredible photos he takes as Byrd’s Eye Studio. For him, the end product of every project is more than just a memento for the memory book, it’s about capturing an experience in which people are genuinely having a good time and sharing that energy with the world.
[ Keep Reading ]Can you Skydive while Pregnant?
You might be surprised to find we get this question a lot. When you consider about half the people who come out for a tandem skydive are women, it makes sense. Occasionally, women find out they’ve got a baby on board after they’ve already made an appointment to skydive. So, now what? Can you still skydive pregnant?
[ Keep Reading ]Quitting Over Canopy
Quitting Over Canopy The struggle is real. One of the most common challenges to new skydivers is mastering landing a parachute. The reality is, it’s not an easy thing to do well. It takes lots and lots of practice and continuing education. If you’re a student or new jumper and you feel the struggle, you’re…
[ Keep Reading ]The Science Behind Being Scared
Long term fear is not healthy. However, short experiences in a controlled environment can have a lot of benefits. This isn’t true for everyone. There are some people who just don’t like roller coasters, scary movies, haunted houses or other heart-thumping activities. The fear outweighs the fun for some and that’s totally ok. However, the vast majority of people enjoy the little bursts of brain chemicals released when doing something a little bit scary.
[ Keep Reading ]Why Jump Out Of A Perfectly Good Airplane?
Safety in skydiving has evolved a ton in recent years. It has become quite mainstream as an amusement and entertainment experience. Many celebrities and even past presidents have done it. Tom Cruise, Tiger Woods, David Blaine, Nicole Kidman and Patrick Swayze (to name a few) even became licensed skydivers.
[ Keep Reading ]Staff Spotlight: Ben Statler
Statler was voted the staff member with the best attitude by the staff and fun jumper community for our 2022 season. This guy always shows up with a smile on his face and spreads his positivity around. He’s also the guy who keeps us entertained on weather days. From backflips to wheelchair tricks, he’s always up to something and making us laugh.
[ Keep Reading ]Skydiving in a City Near You
If you type “tandem skydiving near me” in your google search, you’ll find quite a few results claiming to be the skydiving center nearest to you or nearest to a major city. In the Midwest, you’ll find Skydive Chicago, Skydive Milwaukee and Chicagoland Skydiving Center…but are any of them actually located where their names suggest? Buyer beware: you might find yourself disappointed if you choose your skydiving center based on name alone without doing some research.
[ Keep Reading ]Who can make a Tandem Skydive?
One of the beautiful things about skydiving is it’s a pretty accessible activity for most people. There are some things to take into consideration but only a few hard and fast rules when it comes to the criteria for making a tandem jump.
[ Keep Reading ]What is Tandem Skydiving?
Tandem skydiving has made the sport accessible to almost everyone. Prior to 1983, the only way to experience it was to learn to jump solo or jump for the military. Thanks to the innovation of the tandem harness and container system, more people can feel what it’s like to fly with a relatively small amount of training and commitment. Millions of skydives are conducted nationwide annually.
[ Keep Reading ]Staff Spotlight: Kristin Beasley
Bees is the owner of The 14K Kitchen and we LOVE that we no longer have to pack a lunch to stay fed on the drop zone. We love her sense of humor; she can take a joke just as well as she can dish them out. She’s tough, hardworking, creative and determined. She’s so incredible, in fact, we have a whole ‘nother blog on Bees and The 14K Kitchen.
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