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Elsinore Jedi Freefly
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|  After a successful learning year in 2007 and securing the Bronze medal at the USPA Nationals, Elsinore Jedi is moving into it’s second year with confidence and enthusiastic new team members. Continuing from last year and hitting the skill work even harder this year, Melanie Curtis is maintaining her inside center slot, as well as her boisterous commitment to helping VFS grow as a discipline. Don’t try to resist, it’s better to just go with it, start a team, and get involved. Sweet. Resident Dini-girl, Meili Modini, moves to tail, rockin’ the new exit slot and outside flyer responsibilities. Talk about taking a foot dock! She’s ON it. With that shift, the two badass chicks join forces as piece partners in the back. Jonathan Tagle excitedly joins the team at outside center, working very hard individually to get up to speed on his personal skills. He banged out a lot of tunnel time, and a lot of jumps to get ready, and now he’s rocking his shelf as a solid center. Wanna win? You gotta put the Tizzle in. Young talent, Adam Tippie, also excitedly joins the Jedi knights this year. Jedi being his first team, Adam, brings new energy and drive to the team vibe. The Tipster pretty much smokes all ‘dem fools in the sky, and his natural speed serves to bring the team pace up that much more with his confidence. Adam and Jonathan make up the front pair. Now, the rule at Elsinore is always boy-girl-boy-girl (everyone should know this, and it is strictly enforced at all times), but for the sake of potential ass-kicking, Elsinore Jedi is willing to allow it’s pieces exception in 2008. Cool. Last but certainly not least (anyone who does VFS knows how true that opener actually is), Ryan Simpson is back and only continuing to get better underneath, getting the shot. As the team is getting better and faster, so is he. Simpson actively participates in the dirt dives to ensure he knows where to be on every formation— it’s not just about the exit— in VFS, it’s the entire skydive— a 5-person team, for sure.
An interesting thing to note about Elsinore Jedi as a whole is that, the whole team is comprised of multi-discipline competitors. FS, VFS, and Canopy Piloting. Elsinore Jedi is leading by example in 2008, participating in 4-way VFS (vertical), AND 4-way FS (belly) at this years USPA Nationals, as well as canopy piloting events throughout the year, with the hope of inspiring people that, for lack of a better phrase, they CAN do it all. There are infinite possibilities available to us in the sport of skydiving, we simply have to continue trying new things, seeking knowledge, and then just get out there and DO it. Learning learning learning. Trust us, when you’re the best at one thing, and start doing something else you suck at— well, damn, it’s hard to go through those growing pains again, but what you gain in the process and on the other end couldn’t be more worth it. Elsinore Jedi is a collective example of this message. Go for it! Do what you love. |
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| Team Bios
 Melanie
Curtis
• Current Slot: Inside center
• Nickname: Melsinore
• Number of Jumps: 5500+
• Years of Competition: 2nd year of VFS, 7th year total
• Gear: Mirage G4, PD Velocity 90, PD Optimum 113 Reserve, Liquid Sky Jumpsuit, Sky Systems Oxygn A3, ProDytter, Viso, saturated Vans sneakers
• Sponsors:
• Skydiving Influences: Lou Ascione, Steve Simar, Jonathan Tagle, Andrew Staich, Will Pesek, Mickey Nuttall, John Hamilton, Seth Karp, and Jack Walter.
• Something most people don't know about me: Middlebury
College is my alma mater.
• Favorite block: 1
• Freefly goals: Undeniably rock my shelf, score 1 million points, kill the competition with the Jedi knights, and see the discipline of 4-way VFS grow into the same participation level of 4-way FS...... If you’re thinking about it, do it.
• Personal goals: Positively impact the sport of skydiving
by continuously learning, sharing knowledge with young jumpers,
and kicking a**
• Advice to new skydivers: Jump, jump a lot, then
jump some more and love every single one. Always keep learning,
seek knowledge, and know there is always more to know. (Come
to Excel!!)
• Favorite non-skydiving activities:Hilarity ensuing with my most awesome friends, singing, cuddling, chilling by the pool, movies, reading, biking, pictures, tunnel, and sending mail to the people I love.
• Favorite quote: “To live your life in your
own way... to reach for the goals you have set for yourself...
to be the you that you want to be-- that is success. Let
success be measured by the happiness in your heart.”
 Ryan
Simpson
• Current Slot: Video
• Nickname: Simpson
• Number of Jumps: 2000+
• Started Jumping: Sept 2002 - Vandalia, IL
• Years of Competition: 4
• Gear: Mirage, PD, Liquid Sky, 2K Composites
• Sponsors: Skydive Elsinore, Mirage, Liquid Sky
• Skydiving Influences: Everyone I've jumped with
• Something most people don't know about me: If you
have to ask...
• Favorite block: 11
• Personal goals: Perfect Video
• Advice to new skydivers: Keep getting better
• Favorite non-skydiving activities: Work... ...most of the time.
• Favorite quote: "Aww... Maa-un..."
 Adam Tippie
• Slot: Point
• Nickname: Tipster
• Number of Jumps: 2000
• Years of Competition: 0
• Gear: Liquid Sky Jumpsuit, Infinity, Sky Systems Oxygn A3, ProDytter, Icarus Reserve 109, Icarus VX 68, VANS
• Sponsors: Skydive Elsinore, Mirage, Liquid Sky, Dopamine Clothing Co.
• Skydiving Influences: Wyat Drewes, Melanie Curtis, Jonathan Tagle, Meili Modini, Ryan Simpson
• Favorite block: all of them!
• Personal goals: Get as many points as possible, and win!
• Advice to new skydivers: Be humble, get coaching, have goals and see them through.
• Favorite non-skydiving activities: Flying in the tunnel
• Favorite quote: “To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.”
 Jonathan Tagle
• Current Slot: Outside Center
• Nickname: Tizzle
• Number of Jumps: 6000
• Years of Competition: First year in VFS
• Gear: PD Velocity 79, PD 126 Optimum Reserve, SunPath Javelin Odyssey, Gatorz Eyewear, Ouragan Suit, Airtec Cypres 2, Alti-2 Neptune
• Sponsors: Skydive Elsinore, Performance Designs, SunPath, Gatorz Eyewear, Airtec Cypres, Alti-2
• Skydiving Influences: Paraclete Hybrid XP, Team Mandarin, Arizona Arsenal
• Something most people don't know about me: I’m a certified private pilot with over 400 hours.
• Favorite block: Overcrank-Undercrank
• Personal goals: Aspiring all-around bad-ass.
• Advice to new skydivers: Ask lots of questions. When you have all the answers come tell me what they are.
• Favorite non-skydiving activities: Movies, RC Planes, BASE Jumping and Poker
• Favorite quote: “One of the great discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn't do.”
-- Henry Ford
 Meili
Modini
• Current Slot: Tail
• Nickname: Dini
• Number of Jumps: 2000+
• Years of Competition: 1
• Gear: Mirage, Crossfire 119, Safire 2 109, Rawa, Liquid Sky
• Sponsors: Skydive Elsinore, Mirage, Liquid Sky
• Skydiving Influences: Tube Master, Jessie Farrington, Melanie Curtis and my Team!!
• Something most people don't know about me: Formally trained pastry chef, Served 7 years in the US Army
• Favorite block: Arrowhead
• Personal goals: Have fun, Finish Graduate School, Place top three at 2008 Nationals
• Advice to new skydivers: Stay current, pay attention, pay attention, if it feels unsafe then it probably is......
• Favorite non-skydiving activities: Watching my cats hack up hairballs, taking care of drunks and hypochondriacs in the ER, eating and insuring that I never become an anorexic......
• Favorite quote: "I could not at any age, be content to take my place in a corner by the fireside and simply look on..."
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