Varial Freefly

Look! A Joely

A decade ago, somewhere in amongst my first handful of skydives, I saw video footage of people who could move through the air with a kind of grace and precision that was so far beyond what I considered cool that it didn’t matter how long it took or how much effort it required - I was in. I wanted what they had. The sky belonged to them, and they to it.

A little further down the line I began to weigh up the prospect of skydiving as a career, specifically the aspect I was most interested in - freefly. Someone wise once said that if you choose a job you love you will never work another day, which is as good mantra as any for this life.

Five years of the tube, day in and day out, spent nailing to the wall the necessary skill to be considered worthy of learning from. Competition became a realistic prospect, indoors and out, national and international. One step at a time.

Now I teach, sharing the abilities I have worked hard for with others in which there is a similar desire. We represent Vertical, in the tunnel and in the sky - and at the highest level. I also write, applying the rewards of bookishness to promote our sport and those who support it in the best way I can.

Steve Howes, founding member of Varial. Desperate to never have a real job!