My First Rig
by Princess Catherine Jumping Out of a Balloon in Hofkirchen Over Styria

As I turned 20, I began my skydiving life style. Within 2 months I had quit college and shipped off to Europe to spend time with a “Traveling Circus” my father always spoke of fondly. I showed up at a house/office in Vienna and was greeted with a smile. Then asked, by the patriarch of the business: “How long will you be staying with us, 1 month?” My response, “Ahhh, no, 1 year”. The smile then turned to painful moaning.

So began the adventure. 1 high altitude boogie, a few rainy days at the sauna and no drinking age limit I was settling in just fine, now all I needed was a rig. One day, sitting across the table from my boss, he starts sizing me up and says “you look like you’d be tall enough”. I agreed, although I didn’t know what it was about. Soon I found myself jumping out of a balloon multiple times for a cigarette ad, adorned in a blonde wig & slick red jacket, with such greats as Hans Huber (stunt man) and Eli (stunt video). The best part of my stunt costume is why I am writing to you now, 15 years later. 

Pieced together by Impacts own Kurt Wagner, an incredibly sexy, all white Atom- complete with a white PD 170, custom painted with the cigarette brand on top and a PD143R. After the first day of jumping, a twisted ankle (that I revealed to not a soul) and few schnapps in my head, I got up the courage to suggest that my payment for the stunts be this sexy white rig…after all, I was risking my LIFE, right? They kindly agreed and the schnapps continued to flow. IT WAS ALL MINE. I sewed a patch on the closing flap to make it my own, it read “Beef Builds Beautiful Bodies, See Below”-irony is, I was a vegetarian AND thought I was clever. I made about 300 jumps that year with my fine new rig, a Pink Skyvan, Todd Charmont, Martin Eizner, Tommy Kleindenst and Ulli Ullrich- Yahoo!!! Chute Assis!

I then returned to the states…time to go back to school. It was French gear, not TSO’d in the U.S-Mon Dieu! Every DZ I went to I had to sneak it around or beg them to let me jump it. 

Where is the rig now you ask? In a museum? No…the main is under some redneck kid’s bed in DeLand following a sunset cutaway and swift retrieval by said redneck punk. The rig is in a log cabin in North Garden, Virginia raising questions by the new tenant I’m sure and the reserve is still on my back, ready to save my life at any minute. I LOVE MY FIRST RIG!