Veteran skydiver to feel the nerves
ARCHIE Jamieson has skydived more than 15,000 times, but admits there will be nerves when he jumps out of a plane this week.
The 51-year-old Tugunbased owner of Gold Coast Skydive has been jumping since 1986 and will compete at the Skydiving National Championships in Victoria this week with fellow Gold Coaster Alana Bertram, 30.
The duo, named Running Hot, are representing the city against the country’s top skydivers all vying to for a spot on the Australian team ahead of the World Championships on the Gold Coast later this year.
Mr Jamieson said the pair won the national competition last year, and were hoping to repeat the performance.
“When we heard the Coast was putting in a bid for the world championships in 2018 I knew we had to get a team in there somehow,” he said.
“The guys I employ (at Gold Coast Skydive) are professionals but not competitors so Alana and I decided to do it ... competing is like a whole new discipline, it’s like we’re doing aerial gymnastics.
“When we competed for the first time last year I thought we were there just to make up numbers but we ended up winning. This year we’re like ‘we better take this more seriously’.”
The competition involves five free routines and two compulsory routines.
“We’re really hoping to get through to the team so we can be a part of the Worlds on the Gold Coast,” he said.