I am a professional skydiver by trade with over 20 years experience living the fast paced world of parachutes, including 15 years in BASE Jumping. I currently reside in Northern California concentrating on Team Development, aerial videos and stills with Team ILL VISION. Documenting with gratitude my life's journey is a passion that takes me around the world. Find yourself and your friends here as I explore new people, events and happenings. Let's face it, people are really where the action is. This blog is a direct link to my current adventures and doings in the skydive world. If you are here, there is probably a picture of you. Make sure to check out the main site with the links above to find all your pics.
If you are sick of the biggest snow storm in History
Or
Just want to change the latitude of your life
Then..........Go where others only dream of, the incredibly warm, crystal clear waters of the Bahamas and make some skydives.
This is an exclusive invitation from me, Harry Parker to my closest friends and community members. Friday the 4th I will be leaving to Rum Cay on my own recon trip to photograph, video and provide you with my own interpretation of this Atlantic Pirate Haven.
I want to make sure this is everything I’ve heard and seen it to be, so I am going over there personally and you will have my word on the validity of this exclusive offer. Watch My Facebook Profile, this blogand the EVENT PAGE for updates this week from the 4-8th.
Slots are incredibly limited for this once in a lifetime experience. Max of 18 participants. Find your friends, make the commitment and ................(More After the Jump.....)
Skydive New England and a host of other New England represented drop zones showed up in Z-Hills Skydive City for the annual "get away from the cold" Boogie. Despite cold, wind and rain, the group managed a to squeeze out enough jumps and a whole lot of partying to call it GOOD. Dr. Pete was on hand to organize the RW crowd and many of the new jumpers from last season showed up in full force, many from the newly organized Jump IN! group I put together there this past summer for the up and coming jumpers. All had a good time and were the winners in every nights contest to see who could stay up the latest, make the most noise and consume the most alcohol, while having more fun. They took home a trophy every night. Skydive City took care of the crowd with nightly all you can eat dinners and a brand new "Bird House" bar. Skydive City has been the home for "The Great White North Boogie" for many years and the staff and overall "resort" accommodations are a one stop shop. The vibe rocks and any group that shows up can concentrate on jumping as just about everything is provided for. You can tag yourself in the pics on Facebook and you can check out ALL The PHOTOS on the Gallery. If interested in more then just a web photos, get in touch. There are some excellent pieces ready to hang that are now available that are inexpensive when compared to a framed print. I produced a full down and dirty Great White North Boogie Video as well that's worth a look. Make sure to tag yourself in all The Harry Photos on FaceBook. As always, comments and testimonials are greatly appreciated. HP
The Harry Parker is in Sebastian Florida for a little while and is available for WingSuit Coaching, organizing and special photo documentation as needed. Email The Harry for appointment and more info. Edited video and Stills are available with all packages. A weekend or so ago the leader of the free wing suiting world, Jeff Nebelkopf left town on a secret wingsuiting mission, far, far away. Being in Sebastian I totally swooped one of his first wingsuit students, Matthew from New York. Seems like the whole DZ from the Ranch showed up as well, almost 35 strong. Everyone from jumpers working on their "A" lic to hard core swoopers and Free fliers were in attendance. They rented a house locally and just tore it up, partying, jumping and having fun like only Ranch Hands can do. Matthew did great on his first wingsuit jumps and progressed quickly. We did six all together and he was flying solo and enjoying himself for the rest of the boogie. Training is everything. We had an outline, worked a lot of problems out on the ground BEFORE we ever jumped and it paid off in the air. His progression was a sure sign of his confidence in preparation and training, not to mention a solid background of currency. A big thank you to all the Ranch Hands for their smiles, free beer and good times. Gotta love New York Jumpers. Check out the video Matt's jumps and the antics of The Ranch. You can also tag yourself in the FaceBook Pictures. Buy a WING SUIT. at Tony Suits. If you come to Sebastian, I can measure you up and have you in your own suit in no time. HP
Deep Seed's wisdom regarding our financial crisis is to SLASH prices! Check out all the savings. Get a new suit now. This is all going to end on Jan 31st!
Skydiving is on top again with another large charity drive bringing "Cause Marketing" to the skydiver's mix on publicity. The girls from Jump for the Cause have put together a very professional piece on the event and impacts of Breast Cancer in today's culture. If you are in the Bay Area at this time, don't miss this chance to witness Skydiving's impact on Breast Cancer Awareness. And of course the fun only skydivers can produce. A great night in the city for sure. Many of you might know Team ILL Vision'sJump for the Cause Participant, Kriss Sosso, who will be on hand to sign autographs. Hope to see you all there!
The Trailer for Pink Skies is Below, check it out.
I have some cool specials on photos for the Holidays. Don't know what to get someone for Christmas? All kinds of cool stuff to be had from my super slick Gallery, just in time for the Holidays. Fast processing, shipping and ultra high quality.
20% OFF use coupon code 20XMAS
Packages: Click "Buy" / "Packages" Save 10% on 11X14 Ready to Hang Float package, with 5X7 Photo Panel, Photo Luggage Tag and Key Tag. Can be all different photos. Save $42 on a 11X14 Print Package. Includes 11X14, 8X10 and a 5X7. Can be the same or all different images. Hurry, all specials end Dec 31st.
Tons of cool hot print options available for that stunning once in a lifetime skydiving image. Check out these options below and then check out your pics in Harry Parker's Skydive Gallery Try Ready to Hang Float Mounted Prints! A lightweight alternative to framing! Your choice of metallic or lustre print, mounted on 3/16" rigid gatorboard. Each comes ready-to-hang with a 1/2" thick off-wall mount on the back.
Boxed Framed Ready to Hang Prints! The image is printed on fine art quality paper, then mounted onto a rigid, Masonite board and set in a glassless wooden box frame. Choose Black or Chocolate stained wood to complement your print.
Canvas Gallery Wraps!Ready to Hang! The ultimate in Print Experience. Printed on heavy duty PremierArt Water Resistant Canvas, then finished with a dry lamination process that is UV and water resistant. The canvas is stretched and then wrapped over a 1 3/8" thick wooden frame. Your photo extends to cover the sides of the frame for a beautiful presentation. Ready to Hang.
Want something even COOLER! Contact me Directly for these super cool applications, all ready to hang!
Metal Prints: A MetalPrint is made by infusing dyes directly into specially coated aluminum sheets, creating truly archival works of art. These MetalPrints showcase a revolutionary new medium that is highly durable, waterproof, weatherproof, and ultra scratch-resistant. The high-gloss sheen gives your photos a vibrant luminescence with incredible detail and resolution. Each MetalPrint comes backed with two 3/4" thick lightweight foam blocks and aluminum plate with drilled holes for easy hanging. When hung, these stunning prints will float off the wall. Each print has rounded corners for your safety and the surface can be easily cleaned with any commercial glass cleaner.
Affordable Super Cool Wall Clusters: The ultimate in affordable, easy wall collages. Supported by a grid of push-in pegs, pictures hang aligned and stay level. Installation is fast and fool-proof. And you can add, remove and rearrange pictures in seconds. The pictures are high-resolution prints mounted on 2mm black styrene. Super Cool, fast and affordable!
This past September 2010 Raise the Sky produced an amazing tribute to Steve Harrington 11.25.68-11.11.09, who was killed in a skydiving accidentduring the 2009 US National Formation Record. Everyone surrounding this project was very generous with their work and time. Taya Weiss, founder of Raise The Sky, is an amazing person dedicated to her mission of giving back to the world. This memorial event created the possibility for a new foundation formulated by Raise the Sky, The Steve Harrington Scholarship Fund. A great weekend of jumping at Pepperell Skydiving Center, Steve's local Drop zone. Organizers for both RW and Wingsuiting were on hand to help out. Jeff Nebelkopf successfully organized an "S" formation with the pool of Steve's wingsuiter friends. A hard formation to complete and fly took only two jumps to complete surprising not only those on the ground but the jumpers themselves. Photographers lined up to donate their pictures for this compilation and the future scholarship fund. I was fortunate enough to have the honor of documenting this event and compiling the life of Steve. From the collection of pictures produced from the event and family I was able to produce a complete coffee table book and slide show DVD for the family. My pictures can be found on my Steve Harrington Photo Gallery. The actual book layout will be posted soon after it goes to press with the final approval from family. This event was a surprise offering and another memorial for me personally on my quest to document the life and times of jumping and the people surrounding it. I never thought I would be doing memorials and here I am learning that celebration of life is in every stroke of ones brush as they paint the canvas of their life. One thing memorials really bring to my attention is not only how fleeting life really is, but how it is uniquely our lives and how our lives are truly our choice. Once passed on, a persons life canvas in not only a reflection of their creation but also holds the possibility of our own reflection and contemplation of what we are actually doing with our lives. Skydiving brings celebration in everything, the simplest life has to offer all wrapped up in an adrenaline package. Through the celebration during the memorial of a fallen friend are made the memories that immortalize. I am always amazed at the camaraderie and deep friendships made through this sport. We are so blessed.
Time moves so fast. It's easy to get comfortable the way life is, your healthy body, the routines and general plan your life has taken from day to day. In the last two weeks our little drop zone has taken a hit to the community. A very experienced instructor and long time resident, Paolo Di Fino, with over a decade on this property misjudged a landing bringing himself close to death as anyone can be. Again my new found drop zone and the community of skydiving completely amazed me. The outpouring of love through action is more then evident over time. Paolo's accident sent a wave through our community as such a tragedy would. Vibrant, alive and full of life and experience, his accident caught many off guard as he would be the least candidate for such an mishap. Close friends took the reigns immediately taking the first watch to more then a week of constant watch as Paolo hung on in ICU. To say the least the community was in shock and going back to work not knowing if it was the last time we would see Paolo was very difficult. Paolo has never been without a member of the community. Even his arriving family members were met with complete openness and generosity. Even the hospital staff was amazed at the care and attention Paolo received from his community. News came in hour after hour and then day after day. Every minute a blessing. Severe internal damage and bleeding, back injuries and other complications made nothing definite. Being new here gives me the possibility of a more observant perspective. The powerlessness to help but the fact he was still alive and might possibility pull through in time changes things. What to do? How does someone help? Be a part of the process? On the day of the accident it was agreed we needed to come together. Latest word was that heavy internal bleeding prevented doctors from operating until they could find the leak. Word made it's way around and by the end of the day everyone converged without being asked, to the main landing area, just skydivers and staff, over 60 strong. We formed a circle, took our time to become quite and for the first time I witnessed the entire community here as one beyond each individuals personal stuff. Using mental imagery, breathing, intention and prayer our community agreed together our thoughts from day to day would be of the strong Paolo as we know him to be. Nearing the end of our circle small euphemisms came from participants narrowly defining our friend. From tears to laughter the mood changed, the energy changed. As a group we have kept that image and his ways of being in our thoughts and daily routines, through our conversation and our actions with each other. Everyday he is here with us. The mood lightens through the possibility of somehow becoming part of the process. The next day we learned that about the time of our circle doctors located a torn lobe on the kidney and were able to cauterize it, stopping the bleeding, bring blood pressure up and create a new beginning for Paolo. Again, the mood lightened a bit, Paolo was with us in mind and heart as the strong individual we all know him to be. Coincidence or not, we as a group now felt part of the process. Within the first week more struggles became apparent and we came together again, 46 strong. Sean P Rogan helped lead the next circle. Sean AKA "RockStar" writes his own music and leads the SNE All Star Jug band made up primarily of SNE Staff. He stared the circle off with "We Go Now" on his guitar, a song about Paolo, see the You Tube Link below. Sean then lead the group through breathing exercises to unify the group in mind and body. It was quite amazing. Paolo and Sean always met for early morning Yoga before jumping and it was thought if we were to truly all meet and be with Paolo at once, meditation and stillness might well be the most direct route. This circle lasted over an hour in three stages, the first, to quite ourselves as individuals, the second to unify in group and the third to unify thought and the power of prayer to Paolo. Again, the strong image of our friend at the forefront. The end allowed everyone the chance to have a say, tell a story and share. The magic of coming together as a group is apparent. The ability to be together as one allows everyone to see they are not as separate as they might think, that we all share the same attachments and feelings and together find our individual path through this experience we call a life. Powerful. Again, the mood and energy changed. Paolo's supreme health at 50 as a non smoker, non drinker and active yogi are sighted as his prime means of surviving going through a tree and hitting the ground at well over 60 MPH. Many who make it to ICU don't last there long. Maybe a couple of days. Paolo has been there almost two weeks, on his back, no food, no water. In the last few days Paolo is gaining more strength, more awareness and power. Still in ICU he is now being sedated from time to time as he is becoming rambunctious. More and more of the community are able to visit him now and reports are getting better. All good news, but he is not out of the woods yet. He is still n ICU and anyone who has been there, knows what that means. I share this with you all in hopes that your thoughts, prayers and attention will help spread some healing energy to Paolo, our friend, coworker and community member. All of us here at SNE would be entirely grateful. The pictures below were taken by Kyle Jervis. Thanks for reading and God Bless. HP
Always be Marketing! Our master marketing machine Foggy was on hand with his top notch team of interns as ground crew forSNE at this years Great Falls Balloon Festival event. Carp took care of the air portion. Lots of planning including days and days worth of pictures, diagrams with circles and arrows paid off for a successful full Cessna load of jumpers including world renown Jeff Nebelkopf and Tommy Larochelle flying the American flag in face of stiff upper winds. Over 50,000 spectators packed the area leaving a generous 25 foot wide landing strip for the skydivers. The crowd could be heard under canopy screaming and cheering. A windy day hampered balloon launching efforts this year making SNE's skydiving show the main event for Friday night. It was evident the crowd was hungry for entertainment. All of us signed autographs and took tons of pictures with local residents for over 20 minutes after landing. I was actually surprised many had never seen skydiving before. The kids went crazy and the adults were all smiles many coming to shake our hands with congratulations and thank yous. After all these years in skydiving, it's easy to forget the impact skydiving has on the general public. People LOVE skydiving. I've been to many demos and it's always fun. From the pressure of jumping a new site with new obstacles to the tight landing areas and changing conditions, to the cheers and smiles of the crowds, a successful demo is just plain fun. Skydive New England performs a half dozen skydiving demonstrations in and around New England within their short but BUSY season. By spreading awareness and education about this amazing sport in the community, more and more New Englanders are getting addicted to SKYDIVING every year! We look forward to skydiving with all the new friends we made at the Great Falls Balloon Festival.
This last weekend saw both an RW and a FreeFly scrambles by SNE Local Teams T-Minus:01 and Aeris. Both teams planned a full day of jumping attracting almost 20 jumpers. Brian Touhey of T-Minus:01 and Local Club Jump IN! planned rounds for two way and then took the same people for rounds of three way. Team Aeris organized three rounds of four way with a team member as captain for each team and included video. Aeris also took the time to give a seminar on rigs and canopies to new jumpers. A full day of jumping for SNE fun jumpers. The scrambles was custom tailored for the newer jumpers this year giving each the chance to test, hone and develop skills during a full day of jumping. Huge props to RYAN SEREWICZ for winning the scramble with the highest score!!! Next in line was Kari jackson and Nikolay Shustov. Brian organized a big way speed star at the end of the day for thirteen newer RW jumpers that built to a ten-way proving SNE's newer jumpers are learning fast. Below are some pictures from the weekend! Enjoy, more posted on the Skydive New England's Facebook. We've got a great crop of jumpers coming up this season. Many have already show signs of leadership and willingness to work within a team environment. It is assumed a few of this years jumper harvest will go on to become well known skydivers. If you are in the area, come on out to locals Wednesday sponsored by SNE and Club Jump IN! usually picking up later in the day jumpers start in smaller groups, coaching available and end of the day speed stars where everyone is welcome. BBQ that evening by SNE and Club Jump IN! Thanks to our local teams Aeris and T-Minus:01 for all the hard organizing work that made an ordinary weekend something to remember. If you want to see more pics and tag your self, check out the Skydive New England Fan Page.
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