On Saturday, September 17, approximately fifty students, staff, faculty, and alumni from Delta State University will leap into history. These students will have the opportunity to participate in a tandem skydive as the culmination or “final exam” of Delta State’s first introduction to skydiving course. The adventure course is the first of its kind in Mississippi and is offered for credit at the collegiate level by one other university in the nation, Ohio State University. It is offered through the Delta State College of Education’s Division for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation (HPER).
According to Todd Davis, HPER Recreation Leadership coordinator and instructor, education concerning skydiving is the foundation for this course. “All participants will learn about the fundamentals of skydiving, historical impacts in the evolution of skydiving, health and wellness benefits associated with skydiving, and legal concerns involved in skydiving liabilities,” said Davis. “The main objective of this course is to educate participants in adventure recreation; developing informed recreational consumers. In fact, participants will not need to actually skydive in order to receive credit. Students will have the opportunity to hear prominent guest speakers from across the country and visit with several local skydivers who will speak about all types of skydiving.” For example, students have heard from:
• Live video call from Pro Skydiver and BASE jumper Miles Daisher, with the Red Bull Air Force. Miles was recently featured on the Dr. Drew, Last Call with Carson Daly, The Today Show, and stars in a soon to be released IMAX/3D Digital movie, "Human Flight 3D" in theaters worldwide Sept. 30th.
• Live video call from Gary Holm, of theflyingfatguy.com, who recently was featured on The Early Show on CBS.
• Bill Jackson of the Army Golden Knights, retired Golden Knight and World Champion Accuracy & Style jumper. Also previously with Parachute manufacturer, Parachute Laboratories Inc. (Jumpshack)
• Leanne Igo and Vincent Moore, with Gold Coast Skydivers, discussed the worldwide organization for female Skydivers started at Gold Coast Skydivers; The Pink Mafia. Vincent and Leanne also discussed Drop Zone life, skydiving in general, wingsuit and tracksuit jumps and making a first tandem-skydive.
• Charlie Metcalfe, a retired drop zone manager and jump pilot detailed skydiving history and showed sport parachute gear.
• Rusty Robinson discussed and held gear show and tell, and talked about what human flight is like in a wingsuit.
• Don Ehrhardt and Nathan O’Neal showed common skydiving gear and a variety of formation skydiving jumpsuits.
Most of the course will be taught on the Delta State campus, but the hands-on experience will be at a private airport in Lumberton, Miss. through the Gold Coast Skydiving Center. “Once students have competed curriculum and modules associated with recreation, they will be enrolled in ground school at Gold Coast Skydiving School,” said Davis. “Instructors and certified skydiving personnel will educate and train students in skydiving fundamentals. Once students have passed all recreation curriculum and ground school, they will be eligible to participate in a tandem skydive with Gold Coast Skydiving instructors.”
Introducing students to skydiving adds a unique and enticing element to the College of Education’s recreation programming, and provides an activity which promotes a healthy lifestyle. Skydiving demands that participants be in optimal physical shape and maintain a healthy weight. People looking for new and interesting recreational activities to participate in, which promote regular lifelong activity and wellness, can be involved in skydiving associations and programs in Mississippi and neighboring states. Skydiving is a very supportive, safe, and governed activity; and groups are very active in encouraging new participants. The sport of skydiving is extremely diverse with many levels of challenge and intrigue, and across the country there are many skydiving drop zones, or areas where skydiving occurs, and numerous formulated skydiving clubs.
Don Ehrhardt, a network systems administrator with Delta State University’s SunGard Higher Education and Office of Information Technology, is co- instructing the course. An avid skydiver, Ehrhardt has over 100+ jumps, including jumping from a bridge in West Virginia and also from a hot air balloon in Alabama. He admits that skydiving has been a catalyst for quitting smoking and leading an active lifestyle, and skydiving motivates him to stay in shape. “The hope is that skydiving will persuade those participating in this course to be active and healthy; and because they are involved in a high-energy recreational activity, students may have the confidence and intrigue to try other outdoor recreational pursuits to enhance personal health and wellness,” said Ehrhardt.
Like scuba diving, kayaking, rock climbing, and skiing, there is a sense of camaraderie and culture among skydivers. Mentally, skydiving is an incredibly refreshing break from the everyday stressors. While there is a lot of talk around the minimal dangers of skydiving, many people often overlook the benefits associated with the sport. The truth is there are a lot of benefits that many people find when they are involved in skydiving.
1. It’s fun! People, who are looking for a fun sport, find it in the realm of skydiving. Those who have skydived say it’s so much fun to be free falling through the air and feeling the rush. The more the activity is fun, the more people stay connected with the activity to maintain their wellness.
2. It’s exciting! One definitely gets an adrenaline rush when jumping from an airplane. There are only a few people in the world who will ever experience this type of activity, or even be introduced to the sport of skydiving.
3. It’s safe! Yes, skydiving is safe. We hear a lot about the dangers and the risks associated with skydiving, but the truth is, skydiving is really safe. The chances of actually dying or getting seriously injured are very rare. There are many statistics that can substantiate this fact.
4. It’s challenging! If participants are looking for a challenging sport, then skydiving is it! One must have a lot of athletic ability to jump and maneuver through the air. People definitely challenge themselves physical and mental abilities when they skydive, therefore it is motivation for continued health and wellness.
Continuing in the footsteps of Dave Heflin, retired Professor of Recreation at Delta State University and founder of the Outback and Kayak Club, this type of activity epitomizes the spirit and unique blend in promoting new and exciting ways to keep students active and energized at college through a recreational approach. Through the Dave Heflin Professorship, this and numerous other outdoor recreational programs are offered to students at Delta State University through the College of Education. Although an extreme approach to recreation, Skydiving is an activity which closely relates to already offered recreation and adventure activities within the College of Education’s HPER division, such as white water rafting, rock climbing, and mountain biking. Courses like these introduce participants to lifelong recreational activities and promote an active, healthy, and adventurous lifestyle. The outdoor recreation courses at Delta State are focused on experiential education, in which students are immersed in each activity at the experimental and tangible level. Students in these courses can expect to travel to locations and ride trails on a mountain bike, paddle a raft down a raging river, swing from a rope while rock climbing, or navigate a canoe down the Mississippi River. In addition, these courses integrate global positioning and heart rate technology, mapping and global tracking software, sport and active nutrition education, and specialized instruction concerning outdoor gear, camping and cooking equipment, and leave no trace ethics, components essential in developing an educated recreationalist.
For more information about the introduction to skydiving program, contact Todd Davis at 662-846-4570 or Don Ehrhardt at 662-846-4760.
PHOTO: Participants in the initial introduction to skydiving course offered at Delta State University.
