On Sunday, I headed over to the drop zone. The weather wasn't really cooperating, but we were jumping anyway.

I started the day with a four way from 8,500. Even though we didn't get much altitude, we still managed to get a few points. My next jump was a Pink Mafia Initiation jump. I jumped with Kat O and Autumn L. Yet again, we didn't get full altitude, but they both got their Barbies and we even had time for a little Hokie Pokie!

Woo hoo! Not only did we get two new Pink Mafia Sisters, I will remember this jump FOREVER because it ended with my first CUTAWAY!

Here's a description of what happened.

At the 3 second mark on the video, I check my altitude - 4,300. I wait another 4 seconds before I wave off and pitch out around 3,300 feet. My canopy snivels a bunch and at 2,400 feet I reach up to collapse my slider. When I pop my brakes, one of my toggles is stuck in the cat eye and I start to spin. When I reach over with my left hand, the spin is increased. I level out my canopy by pulling down on my left toggle.
I try to release my brake line with my right hand, but can't get it out.

I could have gone back into a spin and used both hands to try to get it out (obviously I would have ditched Barbie). However, having been at the drop zone when someone died fighting it to the ground in a spin, I elected to cutaway in stable flight. I got clunked on the head by my cutaway handle. The next time I will try to remember to keep it!

If you continue to watch the video, you will see me doing practice flares. I felt like I couldn't get enough flare out of the canopy so I wrapped the brake lines around my hands once. If you listen carefully, you can actually hear the difference in the flare with the brake line wrapped once.

When I turned onto my downwind leg, I located my canopy and made a note of the wind direction and a landmark - a green roof top. Perfect! I finished my pattern and landed in the PEAS! Woop!

Big shout out to the inventor of the Skyhook! It's awesome!