Nick and I have been ITCHING to make the formal announcement of his first jump back, something he’s been working toward for 18 months. A motivation so strong it’s kept him going through his darkest hours dealing with pain and the loss of so much. With a barrage of set-backs along the way, we are thrilled to say, “It’s HAPPENING!”
I’m sure many people think he’s foolish or crazy to jump again. We get the million dollar question often: Why? To us, him jumping again isn’t even a question. There hasn’t been a millisecond of time since Nick’s accident that he’s questioned skydiving again. It has always been a matter of when and how; not if or why.
But to people who don’t understand, who don’t jump, or who don’t know Nick, I realize that “Why?” is a legitimate question. Nick and I have talked about it a lot, I’ve heard him answer the question many times, and yet, I don’t think it’s something the English language could ever illustrate properly.
Nick has expressed himself in a variety of ways, saying things like, “It’s part of who I am. It’s my life. I love it. You don’t stop driving if you get in a car wreck. It’s like that moment you discover you can orgasm for the first time.” While these are solid, maybe a little too graphic answers, and certainly worthy of consideration, I’d like to take a stab at answering the question by making a more universal comparison. I may not have been hurt, but I was there living the nightmare with him, and I’ve since returned to the sport that stole so much from me. I understand where he’s coming from and support his return wholeheartedly.
Skydiving is a lot like love.
If you’ve jumped, you know what I mean. If you’ve been in love, think about it. Try explaining the feeling of being in love with someone… to a 6 year old. That ecstatic, heart-racing, toe-tingling, mind-numbing, nothing-else-matters, I-can’t-get-enough, want-to-feel-this-way-forever feeling when you’re falling in love for the first time.
You can’t describe love, even though poets and scholars have tried for centuries; you just have to feel it. Even after 2300 times, I still can’t put my finger on why it feels so good to jump out of a plane and fly through the air. Nick’s accident was like a mud-slinging, life-shattering, multiple affairs, no prenup, front-page-of-the-tabloids divorce, and now 18 months later he’s healed and ready to love and trust again.
All this to say:
Nick is finally jumping again!
NEXT Saturday, December 8th at Tsunami Skydivers in Oceanside, CA.
Everyone is welcome to come out and be a part of the celebration. We will be arriving early to prepare for the jump(s), and taking off around 12 noon. We will be Barbecuing for lunch, our treat. If you want something besides hamburgers, turkey burgers, or veggie burgers, bring it and we’ll throw it on the grill!
It will be a cozy, laid back atmosphere with lots of friends and fun.
We already have several tandem jumpers lined up to join us, including a few of Nick’s therapists. If you’d like to make your first jump, call their office and set it up in advance. Jumping over the beach in Oceanside offers the best views anywhere in Southern California. If Fener can do it, you can too!
To get a rough headcount for the BBQ, please message me or make a quick comment if you plan to come.
Thank you Rich Grimm and Tsunami Skydivers!
Nick Fener 