Junior Year Box Set

Since I rode the wingboard like I was on a snowboard, I had to lean back, and it went left. Over the next thirty minutes, I made moves that were progressively more aggressive. I was impressed that the wingboard didn’t seem to have any flaws. Everyone had been worried that because of my size, it might destabilize. Of course, they told me that after I landed. The fear was, because of my height, it might want to roll. It never gave me a moment’s worry.

Devin’s team gave me an hour’s break as they reviewed the film from the different cameras. Devin was about to jump out of his skin, he was so happy. I went into the hangar where they had some food set out and made myself a roast beef sandwich.

On the second flight, I still had concerns about the takeoff. The vibration about shook my teeth loose, but once we were in the air, everything felt solid. This time was more enjoyable because I now had confidence Lou hadn’t set out to kill me again.

There was just something about flying through the sky that got your blood pumping. I had the same joy I felt when I jumped out of a plane. I understood how astronauts felt when they had a completely different perspective of what the earth looked like from that far up. I had that same sense of awe but was closer to the ground. I was able to see for miles and miles.

Once we reached altitude, I began to have fun. I enjoyed going back and forth behind the plane as if I were waterskiing. I then tipped forward harder, and I found myself doing a barrel roll. I tipped back and did the same, but in the other direction. I wondered what would happen if I threw myself forward, like I did on the jet waterboard, to do a tight roll. Well! That was a mistake!

What Lou had worried about happened. I began to spin, and the rotations became quicker as I tucked to keep from being sent flying by the centrifugal force. Once it started, I wasn’t able to get it to stop. I don’t know if you have ever been rolled like that before. The closest thing I guess would be to put yourself into a tire and then let it go down a hill. A mild example would be to place your forehead on a bat and spin around it. Imagine that, but ten times faster.

Out of self-defense, I tried to stand up. My bootstraps gave way, and I was tossed from the wingboard. I began to tumble as I fell towards earth. I would have been okay, except I was disoriented as hell. I’ve seen the funny videos as people try to run after they take a spin with the bat. It was sometimes part of some team-building exercise that was intended to be funny. Let me say that it would have been funny if I hadn’t been hurtling towards the ground at an alarming rate.

There were ten different voices in my headset, all screaming instructions.

“All of you SHUT UP!” I heard Don, Range Sports’ jump specialist, yell.

Thankfully, everyone listened.

“David, put your arms and legs out so you will slow your tumble,” he said. “Do it NOW!”

I did as I was told and it seemed to help, but I still felt like I was going to throw up.

“Shit!” Don said.

That didn’t sound good. I closed my eyes, and that just made it worse, and I was suddenly sick. I wished I hadn’t eaten that roast beef sandwich now because it was now plastered all over the facemask of my helmet. That made me gag again.

“David, roll over and face the ground,” Don said.

That was when my altimeter alarm began to go off. I had entered the altitude zone where it was dangerous. I had to roll over and pull my chute now.

“David! David, do it now!” Don yelled.

I rolled over and pulled the cord. Because I was disoriented, it was hard to find the brake cords and pull them down. Somehow, I got down in one piece. As soon as I was on the ground,              I ripped my helmet off. They found me on my hands and knees, dry-heaving. I finally rolled onto my back, and the world wouldn’t stop spinning. I just lay there and groaned.

A shadow blotted out the sun. I blinked and saw it was Brook.

“You about ready to go again?” she asked.

“Maybe in a minute.”

◊◊◊

It took several hours for me to feel anywhere close to normal. Someone had to hold my arm, or I would tip sideways until I wound up on the ground, moaning. Devin seemed a little jumpy when my mom was around. I thought she may have had words with him again.

When they played the video for me, I realized how close I’d come to dying. Brook told me I did twenty-eight rotations before I stood up and was flung from the wingboard. I’d curled up in a fetal position and began to drop like a tumbling rock. The helicopter followed my descent. My stomach was in my throat as I watched it play out on the video. When I finally spread my arms and legs, it helped stabilize my fall, but I was still on a collision course to the hereafter. I will always be indebted to Don. He talked me through it and saved my life.