Sebastian skydiver gets two gold medals from national championships
By Jessica Tuggle
jtuggle@hometownnewsol.com
SEBASTIAN - On a good day, sunshine lights up the rooms in Mike Paolin's house, but even when it's cloudy outside, he can count on his golden medals inside to gleam and shine.
Mr. Paolin, a Sebastian resident for more than 15 years and a world-champion skydiver, recently returned with his team, Clean Air, from the 2009 U.S. Parachute Association National Skydiving Championships in Texas. He added two more gold medals to his collection.
Nearly 500 skydivers participated in the national championships in six skydiving disciplines.
Mr. Paolin's medals came in his specialty jumps, four-way canopy formation and canopy sequential events.
His events involve doing high-flying figures in a specified formation in an allotted time, usually 2 minutes, Mr. Paolin explained.
The sequence of the formation, which can include a diamond shape, is given to the team prior to their jump. Once the jump is made, the team must complete the formations as quickly and safely as possible, he said.
"We do anywhere between 100 to 300 jumps every year, practicing the different formations. It can be dangerous if not performed accurately. That's why we spend hours practicing what to do in an emergency," said Mr. Paolin.
Mr. Paolin first fell in love with the sport in 1977 and began competing in 1990.
Even with more than 8,500 jumps under his belt, he has trouble expressing his exact emotions when jumping out of a plane and making beautiful shapes in the air.
"You can ask many different skydivers and all of them are going to say something different. The best I can imagine is that it's like flying," he said.
"It's a great escape from everything that may be going on around you and you're very much living in the moment. It's a really free feeling and, of course, it's a massive adrenaline rush," Mr. Paolin said.
Mr. Paolin and Clean Air practice and train for the aerial competitions at Skydive Sebastian.
"It's one of the main reasons I moved to Sebastian, and really, it's one of the prettiest places to jump," said Mr. Paolin.
"When the ocean and the inlet water is that blue; it's an absolutely beautiful view."
Mr. Paolin has been the national champion for the two canopy events for the past several years and is already looking forward to the next event, the world championships next June that be held in Russia.
Mr. Paolin and his team all have skydiving as a big part of their lives, but they all work or do other things, too. In other countries, the teams that compete in the championships are sponsored by the government and dedicate all their time to perfecting their aerial skills, yet Mr. Paolin and others can compete with them at the same level.
"We like to rub that in a little," he said with a laugh.
Mr. Paolin encourages everyone who has thought about skydiving to give it a try.
"Life is short," he said.
"If it's something you're interested in, try it. Whether it's once or 5,000 times, it's an experience you will never forget for the rest of your life," Mr. Paolin said.