6/21/99

      There was extra time for some of us fossils to drink beer 
this weekend in the crappy central Florida weather.  I sort of 
expressed a realization that has now taken on a whole different 
slant with Steve Snyder's passing. 

        I came into this sport at a wonderful time to join. It 
was still a small community of folks.  There were strong traditions 
and weak rules.  "Bandit" jumps were almost part of the 
license application.  And the gear was changing FAST.  I 
was trained on old "gutter gear" military surplus stuff, belly 
warts and the whole gig.  I graduated and starting using those 
"hot" church window PC's (Paracommanders) and made some 
piglet jumps.  My first canopy was a 5 cell Strato Star. 

        The gear was changing fast and it was because of the 
people.  And it was people like Snyder.  When I look back on 
the people I've had the priviledge to know, to learn from, 
and to jump with, I think I came in just about at the right time. 
I got my transitional training from my ripcord rig to a 
throw out system from Bill Booth.  When I was making my choice 
between throw out and pull out, I talked with Booth 
about throw outs, and Sherman about pull outs.  When I was 
learning the finer points of canopy control, I got to talk 
at length with a guy named George Galloway.  When I was trying 
to decide about a canopy, I swapped beers and stories with 
guys like John Leblanc, Bill Coe, as well as Rickster, and 
Billy Bradshaw. 

        My SCS jump was with the world champion Visions/Coors 
team.  Norm Kent was #11 on the star.  I was on a pick up 
20 way team that included 4 Golden Knights.  I was on a 
pick up 12 way team  Roger Nelson threw together. Jerry 
Bird organized the sunset big ways. 

        It's not that all these folks were my close buddies, 
but they were accessible.  They were part of the community 
in which I lived and played.  They were over there by that 
van (or behind it sometimes ;-).  They were big, and yet 
right there, on the other side of the campfire, playing 
hackey, drinking beer, hittin' on my girl friend..... Well 
okay THAT part wasn't cool. 

        I haven't exactly been a stand out in the sport. 
I've just reaped the benefits of those who have preceeded me. 
I was just around, spending money, making jumps, having fun. 
But I got to be up close with the folks that were making it 
go forward.  I got to watch in close.  And it's been a hell of 
a ride.  I've enjoyed an awful lot of it.  And I have gotten 
to enjoy it because of folks like Steve.  I actually only 
met him once, and in typical style of the sport then, 
I didn't even know who I was talking to until he was gone. 
But I have been lucky and I know it.  I don't know what it's 
like to be coming up in the sport now.  It's so much bigger. 
Gear is made by companies now, not DZ bums with a sewing machine. 
4-way teams are full time pros who get paid to dispense 
their advice. 

        But now my lovely thought from the weekend has the 
ever present reality coming in.  In a community that small, 
you know them all, one way or another.  The roll call gets 
longer every year.  Some are big names, some small, but 
every year, its another, or two, or three.  It isn't all 
to the sport.  Many got diseases, some did it to themselves. 
Some were in bad planes, bad cars, bad boats.  But I'm 
glad I knew them.  I'm glad they were here.  And for 
many, I value what they gave to the sport and therefor to 
me.  And in some individual cases, I'm glad for what they 
gave directly to me.  I am better for it, the sport is better 
for it, the world is better for it. 

        Thanks Steve.  Thanks for all the good.  Sorry 
ya had to go so soon.  I'm glad you did what you did before 
it was too late.  That's one heck of a team forming up on 
the other side.  They ought to be doing 100 ways by now. 

                                Kevin O'Connell