USIS Q & A With Indoor Skydiving Athlete Austin Crandall
After placing third in the Freestyle Open at 2018 Nationals, Austin Crandall will be competing at this years World Cup of Indoor Skydiving. This will be the first time Crandall will compete at an international indoor skydiving competition.
What led you to the sport of indoor skydiving?
Crandall: “My dad and I used to fly ultralights together when I was growing up. We would go fly every weekend, and my job was too put together the parachute and make sure the lines were connected. That along with my dad showing me his awesome skydiving footage planted the seed. Later on, I did my first tandem jump I realized how much I loved skydiving. For two years I would go to drop zones to pack parachutes, in order to pay for my jumps. The more time I spent at drop zones the more I realized that the best skydivers were all tunnel instructors. I realized I needed to start working at a tunnel as well, and that led me to my job at iFLY Va. Beach”
Did you play any other sports growing up?
Crandall: “Growing up I used to BMX, downhill mountain bike, inline skate, rock climb and I snowboarded as well. Obviously, I did a lot of those extreme kinds of sports.”
You came in fourth place in the freestyle open at 2017 Nationals, and third place in this year’s Nationals. How were you able to improve?
Crandall: “I mainly just took the advice other flyers were giving me, and that was to slow everything down. I needed to pace myself a bit, and not go too hard because that’s when things can get sloppy. My biggest adjustment was keeping tricks powerful when they needed to be, and slowing things down when they didn’t.”
How helpful has it been to have the US National Training Center iFLY VA Beach as your home tunnel?
Crandall: “I really think that it benefits me a lot. I get to train in that tunnel every single day and to be able to compete here definitely gives me a leg up. It’s definitely been cool to see USIS grow there and it’s nice to have an organization looking out for me.”
How excited are you to participate in your first international skydiving competition at the 2018 WCIS?
Crandall: “I’m super stoked honestly. I’ve been working to compete at the world level for a long time, so this has always been the goal to compete at the World Cup or World Championships in freestyle.”
How are you preparing for the competition?
Crandall: “I try to keep to my usual routine which is a lot of yoga and cardio. My biggest thing is trying to stay flexible through those exercises. Along with that, I’m working in the tunnel to get my rotations and flips bigger and more powerful.”
Do you have a personal goal for the 2018 WCIS?
Crandall: “I want to land all of my big flip rotations cleanly. It’s hard because there will be five rounds and some of the flips I will be doing will be very difficult so I just want to be able to stick them cleanly.
Who’s your favorite indoor skydiving athlete to watch besides yourself?
Crandall: “In the tunnel, it would definitely be Reese Willson. He was the first person that I ever saw perform a demonstration in a tunnel. I was at his home tunnel iFLY Utah and saw him do crazy infinity breakers and helicopter, stuff that didn’t even know was possible at the time.”
What are you most looking forward too for the 2018 WCIS?
Crandall: “I’m looking forward to the satisfaction of knowing I made it there. Ever since I started indoor skydiving four years ago I’ve wanted to compete at the world level and It’s been a process to be able to get to where I’m at. I’m just excited to try and push the envelope as hard as I can.
What makes freestyle unique?
Crandall: “it’s a game of cat and mouse. I watch other athletes from around the world and I have to analyze what they’re doing. If they perform a new trick or add something unique to an existing one, I have to try and do it better or add my own unique style. The game is constantly changing as the athletes evolve and it can be a lot to keep up.”
What’s your favorite part of indoor Skydiving?
Comments
Post a Comment