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MATTHEW

1) What made you decide to start skydiving?
I wanted to go skydiving since I was younger after watching the movie "Drop Zone" with Wesley Snipes.

2) How long have you been a skydiver?
I've been in the sport since 2013 (5 years), I did my first tandem in June of 2011 and have hooked since then.

3) How many jumps do you have?
I have around 610 jumps.

4) What container and parachute are you currently jumping? What was your progression?
I have two containers both by Parachute Systems. My parachutes are an Icarus Crossfire 2 149 and a Fluid Wings Tesla 120. I started on a Volt 185 by Parachute Systems then went down to the Crossfire 2 149 after 150 jumps, I got the telsa 120 Febuary of 2018.

5) Have you had any cutaways? How many?
Yes I have one cutaway. It happened on jump number 20 while I was still a student: a slider hangup deployment put me in a flat spin on my back.

6) What type of skydiving do you enjoy (RW, big way, crew, FF, swooping, etc.)?
I enjoy FF and wing-suiting.

7) What’s your home drop zone?
My Current DZ is Skydive Walterboro but I go to Skydive Carolina often.

8) Do you come from an outdoor family? What does your family think of your decision to start skydiving?
Yes I come from a family that likes all types of outdoor activities. They think its cool that I skydive. My dad, brothers, and sister have all done a tandem.

Matthew Smith (l) is pictured at a drop zone in North Carolina during a Team Blackstar meetup (Photo credit: Danielle Williams)

Matthew Smith (l) is pictured at a drop zone in North Carolina during a Team Blackstar meetup (Photo credit: Danielle Williams)

9) Have you participated in any record jumps? If so what were they?
No I have not participated in any record jumps yet.

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10) What do you like best about skydiving?
The diversity in the sport and meeting people from all different walk of life are what I enjoy most.

11) Why is Team Blackstar important to you?
Team Blackstar is important to me because it is good to see other people of color in the skydiving community. When I first started skydiving I really didn't come across anyone of color and thought there must be very few if any at all. Its good to feel that I'm not the only one that doesn't just want to do a tandem.

12) What is the most challenging thing you’ve ever done as a skydiver? What was the scariest?
AFF-I course has by far been the most challenging. The scariest was doing my first base jump

 

Matt Smith (r) photographed before a Team Blackstar ‘patch jump’ with digital nomad Ramone Edwards.

Matt Smith (r) photographed before a Team Blackstar ‘patch jump’ with digital nomad Ramone Edwards.

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