Some of the most significant people in our lives can be the most difficult to buy for. More often than not, when I find myself in a gift-giving dilemma, I roll through the classics. For men, those classics include:
-cufflinks
-fancy shave sets
-luxury sweaters
-ties
-BBQ sets
-aftershave/man potions
-beef jerky
-Clint Eastwood DVD's
-30 yr old scotch
-puppies
So what do you do when you've exhausted all these options? Sure, you can drill down through his list of hobbies and vices: geeks like their Woot t-shirts and gaming systems, hipsters like their knitted hats and retro stuff, old money like their boat shoes and Chateau Latour. Sooner or later, though, revisiting their interests might make you feel like a one-trick pony: you know enough to buy something applicable that they won't hate, but it still doesn't wow them.
So, what do you get for the well-appointed gentleman in your life- you know, the guy who's actually got his shit together and has all of his needs covered?
Answer: get him a one way ticket to jump out of an airplane. If that doesn't blow his skirt up, nothing will.
****
Midwest Freefall offers first time jumpers tandem skydives for $219.00- or, if you want to wait until October (the last month they're open), they lower the price to about $190. Make sure that special someone weighs under 230lbs for men, under 180lbs for women, and that they're over 18 years of age. Also, make sure they wear comfortable clothing and tennis shoes; even though the Santa-looking instructor wears sandals, you better believe it's in your best interest to protect your feet when hurtling towards the ground through cold air.
After you arrive, you will be taken to a room to watch an ancient video of ZZ Top lookalike Bill Booth tell you that skydiving is dangerous (duh). From there, you will fill out about 30 pages of paperwork signing your life away and placing you in the caring hands of a bunch of dudes you've never met before. You will then be paired up with an instructor who will go over the basics of what you need to do during the jump so as not to die or cause yourself serious injury- during this time, you will be suited up, a parachute will be picked out, and you'll get comfortable with having a gentleman strapped to your back. Yowza.
After about 30 minutes of instruction, you're ready to go. From there, it's pretty easy- go up in a plane, fall out of the plane, hit the ground. Congratulations! You just paid good money to do something most people have nightmares about!
For roughly $100 extra, you can have video and still pictures documenting your screams from the time they pry you out of the doorway of the plane to the moment you land in a weeping & happy pile on the ground.
The people that work here are caring, knowledgable, and passionate about their sport. They'll warn you upfront: skydiving is addictive. Luckily, they also offer classes so you can get certified to do this on a regular basis- experienced jumpers pay about $25 per solo jump.
****
Above all else: If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you. read more