Linetwist on a TARD
Also known as - why MyTwoCents is a fucking dumbass. Object - 180 foot span. Wide open landing area, except for a concrete pillar twenty feet to my right.
Jump - PCAd an inexperienced visiting jumper, then TARDed the bridge myself.
Problem - Not making sure I don't have linetwist before I climb over the railing.
Underlying cause - Feeling pressured because the heat is on and I want to get off this object.
Root cause - Sheer and utter complacency, because the object is easy and I've jumped it at least 30 times before. Right?
Other stupid fact - I'm a total believer in body armor and helmets. I even wear it at the Perrine, This one, because it's such an easy jump (sigh, dumbass), I didn't wear either.
What saved me - Having practiced intentional line-twist at the Potato bridge.
What happened - Opened with a 90 right, look up and see linetwist, flying towards the pillar. Start yanking on random lines on the right side, above the twist, to get it steered away from the pillar. Get close enough to the pillar to stick my feet out to push off in case I hit it, maybe eight feet from it. Get it around just in time back to the open landing area.
Landing - Remember, this is 180 feet. It's a short canopy ride even without linetwist. Now deeply concerned with my landing, still having a full linetwist, wishing I had put my body armor that day.
Luck Factor - Out of sheer luck, the swoop that I got coming out of the turn has me swing pendulum-wise just two inches of the ground. I still have full linetwist, so a foot lower and I would have pounded in hard. I slide on my ass, get the wind knocked out of me, feel my limbs and realize everything is ok still.
Results - No injuries, another fucking reminder that complacency will kill me one day, and an embarrassing demonstration to the new jumper that was with me, whom I was supposed to be a experienced conservative example for.
Time to retire - Not that I will, but oh well. At least I said so here...
