Despite Brucie’s excitement it is starting to feel a bit emotional here at Redlands as we at the beginning of the end. Due to bad weather and the Airvan grounding we have found ourselves not in the relaxed state of rolling on to the end that we had planned, but rather a head-on, all hands-on deck, race to the finish. Proving that the team is working just as well as ever the tandems have been prolific and the progression astounding – amazing what a deadline will do to focus the mind! (Bit like writing this!)
Whilst it is impossible to mention everybody, the egos that require a mention; Brucie wants you all to know that he was the best CI ever, Crazy says he is awesome and Dylan, well he is a maybe but alongside Luke the legend of team Sexual Chocolate will live on.
By the time you are reading this the last lift will have flown, the last descents landed, the beers drunk. A sad day indeed but looking forward to seeing the Redlands folk from students through to instructors at DZs across the country. Question is, are they ready for us??!! It is a shame not to be able to tell you how the party went so I am going to pinch the words of the magnificent Doog who has looked into his crystal ball and predicted the most likely outcome.
The End of the End party was amazing right up to the point Doog filled the DZ car with fireworks and after a bottle of whisky took Ross, Aaron, Coxy and Babs and chased the drunk TI’s round the field whilst pulling hang break turns screaming “you will never take me alive!”
The problem started when Ross lit a doobie forgetting he was sitting on a petrol can and next to the fireworks. A screaming Brucie was heard saying the car had already been sold for some bitcoin and XRP.
Meanwhile, Darrell was playing a superhero again, unfortunately, he and Jonny spent the night arguing who was going to be Super TI and who Super camera flyer. Jonny rightly told him with his blue rinse all he was good for was SuperGran. This started a fight between Chrissy and Jenny about who would be Super Packer, but they quickly decided they didn’t care as long as there was cake. Brucie, realising his Chuff Chart was down to zero was sat muttering in the corner that it was his train set and they can’t take it away from him. Night Jumps seemed a good idea at that point, but we couldn’t find the plane keys.
Whilst the remainder of the DZ was burning Arthur still tried to claim it was all his and the gate would be locked at 9pm. It was a little bit emotional a little bit scary but these bunch of skydiving weirdos were now released back into the community and may turn up at a DZ near you.
Jenny Bouquet and Doog McDougall
Achievements: A LICENCE Adam Rigby, Fero Bolek, Paul Jones, Paul Davies, Steven Sanders, Daphne Lubert-Perquel, Lou Rigby B LICENCE Ben Coulton, Medhi Zinetti C LICENCE John Guy, Lewis Reddie FS1 Griggsy, Lewis Reddie, Matt Williams, Medhi Zinetti IS1 Pat Holmes 22 MINUTES FREEFALL Hamish Roberton 8 HOURS FREEFALL Ross Walker 10 HOURS FREEFALL Dave Pickersgill JUMP NUMBERS 50 Medhi Zinetti, Richard Sharkey 200 John Guy, Lewis Reddie 400 Claire Briggs 500 Dermot McCrystal, Max Nicolaides 900 Martin Rhodes 1000 John Eeles 1700 Jenny Bouquet 2000 STUPID QUESTIONS ANSWERED Babs 24,999 PACK JOBS Chrissy Downer
Photos: Skydive London Archives
