110 degrees magazine - Index

110 degrees magazine - magazine_08 - Index

BLOOM I BY ANDREA STUART I PHOTOS BY RUSSELL BYRNE
SKYDIVE BYRON
An aerial view of our beautiful East County is typically
reserved for the birds. However, in the town
of Byron where the Byron Airport is situated, eager
skydiving experts and curious first-timers alike
prepare for an exhilarating six-minute journey
through the heavens.
Skydiving, once known as parachuting, is said
to date back to 1797 when André-Jacques Garnerin
performed the first recorded jump from a gasfilled
balloon. A little over 100 years later the first
woman parachutist, Georgia (Tiny) Broadwick,
jumped form an airplane, forever engraving her
name as a footnote in history and propelling
forward the popularity of the sport.
FALLING FOR SKYDIVING
Clay Bonavito became a skydiving enthusiast
when he was 24 years old. A friend called him one
day to ask if he had any desire to go skydiving.
Having never considered skydiving before, Clay
thought to himself, “Sure, why not?” He completed
all the necessary training in a single day and two
weeks later performed his first static line jump out
of a Cessna. He knew immediately that he had
found something he could give his life to.
Clay got a lot of experience over the subsequent
years and merged his love for skydiving
68 www.110mag.com January/February 2008
HELEN KELLER ONCE SAID, “LIFE IS EITHER A
DARING ADVENTURE OR NOTHING AT ALL." FEW
PEOPLE HAVE LIVED UP TO THAT BELIEF MORE
THAN CLAY BONAVITO OF BAY AREA SKYDIVING.
with his love of traveling. His thirst for adventure
took him to numerous skydiving locations
including Dellingham Field on Oahu’s North
Shore, San Carlos, Mexico, as well as to various
locations across the continental United States.
Eloy, Arizona quickly became one of Clay’s
favorite locations to skydive. Eloy has earned a
reputation as a “boogie,” which in skydiving parlance
means a place where jumpers from all over
the world gather for fun.
Clay and his comrades indulged in their favorite
sport without being weighed down by the responsibilities
of coordinating with other divers. Each
skydiver was able to do what he/she loved most
with untrammeled freedom.
Hawaii quickly became another of Clay’s
favorite skydiving haunts. He confesses there are
few places on the planet that rival the beauty that
Hawaii has to offer. From lush green canopies to
crystal blue waters, Hawaii provides a uniquely
beautiful skydiving destination.
Not only does Hawaii have some of the
world’s most pristine terrain, it is also one of
the most geographically precarious places to
skydive into. For example, the winds pose a
major threat because they can shift violently
from moment to moment, which means
skydivers must remain alert to each shift in
the elements.
The cloud cover presents another hazard
because it drastically reduces visibility. The sometimes
violent Pacific Ocean and the always rugged
coastal mountains provide two other sets of peril
to divers who stray or are blown away from the
jump zone.
Clay admitted with a grin that the spectacular
scenery of the area completely outweigh the risks
of the accompanying perilous conditions.
ONCE IN A LIFETIME
Surprisingly, Clay’s most thrilling jump did not
take place in Hawaii. Clay smiled and his eyes
widened as he shared his story.
“It was August 8, 1993 and we were getting
ready to jump into a 49ers versus Raiders exhibition
game at Stanford Stadium. Everyone was
really excited and somewhat apprehensive.”
Clay and his team had their work cut out for
them as they prepared for their aerial performance.
Choreographing the jump took tremendous
planning and precise execution. Each jumper set
an unerring course for their ground targets with
wrist watches timed to land the jumpers exactly
15 seconds apart from one another.