Skydiving is one of the most extreme of the extreme sports. When skydiving, the diver will jump from a plane thousands of metres above the ground, with nothing but a piece of thin material (the parachute) to slow their fall. Wether you are a student or a elite competitor, the parachute is designed for the skydiving sport. The skydiving sport originally consisted of using ex-military parachute equipment, with cutting holes in the parasail increasing the aerodynamics, and improving the steering and flight. Eventually skydiving as a sport competition became more mainstream, and parachutes were developed for the sport usage.
The first skydiving World Championship was held in Bled, Yugoslavia in 1952. Parachuting is the largest aeronautical sport within the FAI(Federation Aéronautique Internationale)
Equipment
The equipment used for skydiving
is pretty straight-forward.
Helmet/Headgear - for obvious reasons. Any extreme sport should
be done wearing a helmet.
Goggles - to protect the diver’s eyes from extreme wind
and cold
Jump suit - tight fitting clothing that allows for maximum flexibility
and movement
Harnest/Container System - holds the diver’s parachute
while they are in freefall
Main/Reserve Parachutes - again, for obvious reasons. Without
their parachute, a skydiver would be a splat on the ground. The reserve
parachute is for emergencies for if the main parachute will not open,
or if it gets tangled, the diver can release the main parachute and use
the reserve.
Leg Straps - helps keep parachute in position on skydiver
 Tandem Skydiving |
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 Skydiving will give you a bigger rush than any extreme sport, falling at tremendous speeds. |
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Html by Geoff D
Text by Aaron L
Photos by www.extremedreams.co.uk
used with permission
Graphic by Aaron L Eric
B and Geoff D