Coming soon from Ground Rush Productions…
Jerry Bird — The Making of a Skydiving Legend
Linda Collison, Editor
Sam Alexander and Raylene West, Contributing Editors
“Skydiving is about the relationships and the friendships that you make.” – Jerry Bird
Jerry Bird was once the most famous skydiver in the world. In the 1960s when the sport was beginning to branch out beyond parachute landing accuracy and solo style maneuvers, a group of American skydivers took freefall flight beyond the baton pass to the next level. At first, the old-school paramilitary jumpers were leery of this new breed who seemed to scorn style and accuracy competitions, as well as some of the guidelines they developed. The paramilitary jumpers, along with the FAI (World Air Sports Federation) dismissed the freefallers as “fun jumpers” and at first didn’t recognize group body flight as a legitimate sport. The fun jumpers called themselves “relative workers” and most of them didn’t care about parachute landing accuracy; they cared only about building “stars” in freefall. Jerry Bird was one of these, but he flew the nest of Southern California, taking the sport of freefall star-building around the world.
This is the story of how Jerry Bird changed the sport of skydiving in the second half of the twentieth century. He and his All Stars turned the world on to the challenge and the exhilaration of flying together to hook up with others in that brief dimension of freefall. Captain of national and international champion teams, Bird is remembered for his inclusive team building and coaching methods, his innate abilities and organizational skills. In 2010 he was inducted into the International Skydiving Museum Hall of Fame.
A compilation of writings by many notable skydiving contemporaries who knew and flew with Bird, the book is built around Jerry’s own stories transcribed in his inimitable voice. As such, it is both an historical sports biography and personal memoir of one man whose name became legendary among skydivers around the world and his influence on the sport is seen today.
Contributors:
Linda Collison is an author and a retired skydiving instructor (AFF and Static Line)
Raylene West is a retired skydiver, a hang gliding pioneer, and an enthusiastic cheerleader for Jerry Bird’s All Stars.
Sam Alexander is one of the original Jerry Bird All Stars and a hang gliding pioneer.