WHAT NOW? “ABOVE ALL ELSE”:

 Dan B-C’s Story of  Survival,  Success:

By Laura Walcher

The headlines in April, 1992, screamed tragedy:  “16 DIE IN PERRIS PLANE CRASH.”  In that airplane accident, Dan Brodsky-Chenfeld survived, desperately injured, in a month-long coma, but ultimately, alive.  Despite all medical warnings and predictions, Dan B-C (as he’s known in the skydiving world), returned to national and world competition, made a profession of training and skydive management, and today is the sport’s most respected and successful  athlete. He’s the manager of Skydive Perris (just northeast of Escondido), a world champion of skydiving, and a devout believer in following one’s passions - all of which he’s told us, with heart and humor, in ‘Above All Else,” his new book launching in September by Skyhorse Publishing.

We talked.  

LW. You considered other titles for your book – so how and why did you decide on ‘Above All Else”?  Dreams? Passion?  The clouds?

Dan B-C:  We began with “Playing to Win,.”  The idea was always  that life isn’t about ‘winning.’  It’s about having something that you feel passionate about and want to excel at.  If, like me, you’ve defined a goal - like world championship - your success won’t depend upon winning that.  In the process of striving to achieve that ambitious goal, you’ll become a winner whether you actually ‘win’ or not.  It’s about “playing to win!’

   But that title without all the explanation sounded  too much like it’s all about winning - the opposite of the truth!  ‘Above All Else’ is about finding a passion in your life and having the courage, determination and conviction to go after your dream, whatever it is! 

. 

LW:  You write that you sold your “soul” along with your possessions, etc.  to finance an early – 1989 -  bid to win  the National Sky-Diving championship.  I don’t think you meant that!?

Dan B-C:  Not as in ‘ sold your soul’ to the devil, as in accomplishing your goal regardless of how that may effect other important aspects of your life.  I meant I was willing to sacrifice material goods and dig a hole of debt to accomplish a dream in which no monetary reward nor even significant recognition of any kind was promised. .

LW:   Recently, two accidents at Perris Valley resulted in the deaths

of a few experienced skydivers.  What do you make of those events – which hit you hard, professionally and personally? 

Dan B-C:  Skydiving is a potentially dangerous sport; after all, we jump out of airplanes!  These were very experienced jumpers with immense experience.  But, with proper respect for the sport and attention to safety, we mostly make it safe.   I have over 25,000 jumps and have never been seriously injured!   It’s absolutely awful when we lose any of our ‘family.’  Emotional devastation first; then, the pragmatics:  What went wrong?  Why did it happen?  Could it have been avoided - and, what can we learn? 

LW:    Yet by now - 30-plus years after you began to “fly” – hasn’t

Skydiving become safer, per equipment and technique?

Dan B-C:  Skydiving’s as safe as skydivers want to make it    Skydivers are not general adrenaline junkies; we don’t enjoy being scared.   We don’t consider skydiving risking our lives!  But like any other activity - as common as driving a car - you can never become complacent.  You need to know and follow the rules!  Watch out for those who don’t and don’t put yourself in situations that you’re not confident you can handle!  

LW:  What are the essential qualities a skydiver needs to succeed

at the sport – and to win in competitions?

Dan B-C:  Above all else (!), love it!  Love how it feels to experience the closest mankind has come to true human flight!  You have to be dedicated to your goals and willing to make the commitment and sacrifices required.    Then, work your ass off!   It  helps to be in good shape and have some athletic ability - but nothing is as important as loving it! 

LW:   “Above all Else” will tell us about your own journey.  Are your “lessons learned” meant to inspire athletes – or all of us?

Dan B-C:  I hope people are inspired to stop making excuses and go after the things they feel passionate about, and turn their dreams into reality.  

LW:  You've achieved becoming a renowned champion, trainer, manager and jumper.  What’s next?

Dan B-C:  The world record for the largest free fall formation skydive! It’s the remaining challenge that defines how far skydiving free-fall flying skills have come. Years ago, the first two parachutists  ‘hooked up’ in free-fall.  In 2002, I organized 300 jumpers using 14 airplanes flying in formation. The King of Thailand (really!)  supported our 400 person jump. Now, the Price of Dubai has offered to underwrite my team ‘Perris Performance Plus’ ({P3) in organizing a 500  skydiver jump - in Dubai.  We ‘fly’ February, 2013  -  an opportunity we’re not passing up!

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State of the Union

State of the Union

By Laura Walcher

Presidio Sentinel, San Diego, August 2011

   Who would’ve expected  Mrs. Murdoch to go attacking the clown who sent her husband a pie-in-the-face?  She looks like a delicate sort of woman, but undeniably full of grit.  Anyway, at least she wasn’t the hurler – though heaven knows, that couple could be next up for “issues.”

Rebekah Brooks, she of the flowing flame mane, might … um, love Mr. Murdoch, herself.   We haven’t quite yet learned, … what did she know and when did she know it?  “Incredible!” is how Newsweek reports her claim that she din’ know’ nuttin’ - !    Wait   Maybe her role is deeply related to, ummm, more than her

Job.  We’ll find out.  The New York Times warns us, “the web unmasks ... everyone!”

And, we’ll hear soon enough just why Arnold refuses in court to provide his ex-Mrs. with child support and/or alimony.  He’s broke?  Mad?  Maybe Maria just plain doesn’t need it.   More likely, it’s the principle of the thing.

We un-rich couples have our own problems, so before the i’net bares my newest one, replete with untruths and second opinions, I’ll tell you that if I could afford it, I’d have taken Mr. Walcher to court myself.  

What happened?  I distributed my last  semi-brilliant column in e-mail,  with absolutely no subject line, thereby seriously reducing the probability of it being read.  I made this egregious error because Bob Walcher was driving me nuts.  He paced ‘round the office, stamping his alligator feet, because he wanted us to leave.  Leave!  What, again?  To be too early for a date we could easily be just on time for, if only I were left alone to craft an appealing subject line? But no. NO!    Off it went without the subject line, sentencing me to spend my writing life in miserable invisibililty.  

Unfortnately, I’m not rich enough to sue.  He owes me a subject line for sure.  Instead, I complained to PR guy Tom Sprague, who’d chided me for the lack of a  subject line. Tut, tut, he said, but soon, understanding the source, offfered  a perfectly reasoned solution:

“I’ve been married for 61 years,” he reported, “but I only recently discovered that no matter how much I suggested, pleaded, commented, etc., nothing made the ‘getting-ready’ process any faster. So now I get dressed, and lie down on the couch until she walks by and says she’s set to go.

  

“We have not yet missed any kick-offs, early cocktails or curtain time.  Who says time is money?” 

“My pastor  calls it the ‘Two Minute Warning,’ ” he continued, “ like in football, two minutes takes a lot longer than two minutes when getting ready to leave for an event.”

Mr. Walcher could take a lesson.

The rich could learn from us; we’re better at peace.  Or at least,

our peace costs us less.  When my mother and dad - both of whom spoke perfect English - had a dispute, they switched instantly to Yiddish, and somehow, that led to endless streams of resolution and not a single cash

exchange.  Or maybe they were just protecting us kids, which isn’t a bad idea, either; one the rich ought to get serious about.

It’s a little scary to think what we’ll learn next, about Mr. Shacknai and Ms. Zahau.  We’ll take the mere tut-tuts of we un-monied, any day.  ###