University of Alabama - Corolla Yearbook (Tuscaloosa, AL)

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Attempting to land in the sand- pit. Mike Meyers touches the ground a little sooner than he had planned. Eutaw provides plenty of open space for the Sunday Sky divers. Student Life: Skydivers 13

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Gasp from the security of the plane and started the free fall at about 120 miles per hour. By arching their backs, the jumpers were able to fly toward each other and begin the forma- tions. At 2,500 feet the divers broke apart, dumped their parachutes and began the descent back to earth. And though many think it is a dangerous sport, the people who skydive regular ly argue that the fatality rate is low, and that the adven ture greatly outweighs the risk. I guess it seems like a very insane sort of thing to do, Alford said. Richard Washburn But Alford, who was also a certified skydiving instruc- tor, said he thought safety was a relative term. Is it safer than jumping off a bridge or driving drunk back from a football game? It ' s safer than that, he said. Skydiving is also a very social activity. You build up a lot of friendships with other skydivers, Bill Gar- rett, a former Bama Sky- diver, said. Skydivers are considered by most to be crazy ... I guess you kind of stick to your own kind. Sandra Medlock, a junior in advertising, said the pec pie involved in skydiving was one of the reasons she liked the sport so much. It opens up a lot of opportuni ties for meeting new people and traveling, she said. Before the prospective skydiver actually jumps from an airplane, he must go through hours of instruction on the ground. Then, he usu ally takes his first jump from a lower altitude. Alford said that although a lot of people try skydiving, less than 5 percent continue to jump. Everyone ' s family gets worried and starts putting pressure on them to stop jumping, he said. It ' s one thing that when your par ents sent you off to college they hope that you don ' t do. D — Lynn Rollings There ' s no turning back for Jack Alford and Bill Garrett, who left the airplane at 9.000 feet to descend to a small field near the Eutaw airport runway. In order to ensure a smooth fall to the earth, skydivers must use cords to put on the breaks. Barbie Clieno demonstrates during a landing following her first jump of the day. 12 Student Life: Skydivers

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14 Student Life: Seventeen Magazine