Jim Kime

Captain Jim “Phantom” Kime of Zephyrhills, FL passed away May 24th, 2009 due to a short illness. How do you describe the indescribable? Phantom was a Master Mariner and held the highest qualification of Sea Captain. Phantom was a skydiver for over 35 years and absolutely loved the sport and camaraderie. He was the embodiment of Skydive City and would rarely be seen without a toothpick in his mouth or beverage in hand. He was a Muff Brother, an asshole, Mayor of Skydive City’s City Hall, and one of the last true gentlemen. He was generous and did so much for the community, both local and skydiving. Phantom’s departure left an incredible void which will never be filled. He was respected, loved, crude, honest, a mentor, and a legend. But most importantly, Phantom was our beloved friend and the coolest motherfucker you would ever have the privilege to know.

Leave your memories of Phanton in the comments below. For information about posting a BSBD memorial in the magazine, e-mail lara@blueskiesmag.com.

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Oregon rigger Jerry Baumchen has produced an instruction manual detailing how to build your own soft links, using less than $5 in materials and with no sewing involved.

By downloading the pdf from our website, you agree to take total and complete responsibility for your skydiving and/or rigging decisions and actions. You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Blue Skies Magazine, LLC, its affiliates, agents, writers, staff, and principles for any skydiving and/or rigging decisions or actions you make. The password to open the pdf file is “Iacceptresponsibility”.

DIY Soft Links

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Download Swedish DJ Jonay’s song “Skydiving” here: http://jonay.com/Jonay_Ft_Jasmine_Kara_-_Skydiving.mp3

The song was created in response to an online poll and Jonay used feedback from the dropzone.com community to write it. He’s also given his permission for the song to be used in tandem videos.

Send your skydiving videos using Jonay’s song to kolla@blueskiesmag.com. Our esteemed panel of judges will award the best video one brand-new, never-worn Blue Skies Mag t-shirt of the winner’s choice.

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A compilation of July contributors’ favorite skydiving songs – enjoy!

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Unless you’ve been living under a rock, or at the DZ with no television or internet, you probably already know that former President George H.W. Bush made his seventh skydive yesterday, a tandem with the Golden Knights in Kennebunkport, Maine. Here’s our favorite video of him after he landed, explaining why he loves to skydive, and when he plans to do it again.

And in case you missed it, he sent a message to USPA members back at their “Salute to the Skydiver” event a few years back: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8MEEEkmhNU

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Man, we are really in the thick of putting the July (pre-second) issue together. If it wasn’t for music, I think I’d have gone crazy by now, so of course I’ve got a little playlist of “magazine launch anthems” going. I won’t bore you with the details of what each song means to me personally, but you can probably figure it out.

Kolla and I were talking about this little magazine, and how it’s just a runaway freight train. We couldn’t hop off now if we wanted to (and we don’t!). It feels like it was born to fly, just like the first song. If you don’t like country, don’t close the page yet! There’s a little something for everyone in this one:

Here are some of the things we’ve got coming in the July issue: a feature on skydiving’s superwoman, Valinda Mitchell; rigging by Mike Gruwell; 4-way/competition tips by Steve Hamilton; a tunnel comparison chart by Ari Perelman; a week in the life of Eric Deren as he films the upcoming 3D movie Human Flight 3D; a review of new iPhone skydiving games; and an introduction to the 4-way team we’ll follow to Nationals, PACK’D. Including, of course, the snark and sarcasm, beer and boobs we’ve promised all along And more of Sunman than you’ve probably ever cared to see (this was not the kind of nudity we had in mind when we planned the magazine, but we’re nothing if not equal opportunity givers).

I really really really really (really) hope you guys like it.

Oh and before I forget, send your news to lara@blueskiesmag.com!

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