Video & pics of our team doing a series of four 4-way jumps for the Karp Cup ‘09 competition at Skydive Cross Keys. I’m the one with the pink and turquoise container on my back. It was a fun and casual competition, and we got 2nd place in the rookie division – yay!
 
Kudos to Cherie & Karl Schuch for their massive organization efforts. What I like about competitions like the Karp Cup are that they are a fun way for rookies like me to get in on the action. Those of us with not so much experience feel welcomed and it’s a nice way to learn some new moves while having fun in a competitive environment.
 
I had a great time and my teammates for the day – Art, Dana, Neal & our cameraguy Dan – were awesome. Special thanks to Neal for showing us the ropes and sharing his 8,000+ jump knowledge. The only wonky thing that happened that day was that on my 4th jump, I had a cutaway (cutaway my main parachute and flew my reserve in) and landed at a golf course next door, but the golfers were really friendly and helpful, and my main parachute and free bag were immediately found, so all in all, it was the best situation for a cutaway scenario.
 
Later that evening, dinner and drinks and partying ensued around the tiki bar, and the awards were given for the competition along with raffle prizes. Cherie also announced the formation of CK Blue, which will be an ad hoc competitive team. The way it works, as I understand it, is that experienced skydivers who want to compete but don’t have the extra 200-300 hours to dedicate to training, can join CK Blue and compete as a team, without having to commit to practicing. It’s like no-strings-attached competition – I love it! Good luck to all those who join. Enjoy the pics and vid (both by Dan Ortiz). Blue skies!

See the full gallery on Posterous

video of our four 4-way jump series here: