Do It 4our Way – It’s no secret that the top teams invest heavily in tunnel time, coaching and training camps. But does this mean you need to spend a lot of money to do 4-way? Not at all; you don’t have to be a cookie cutter team, you can do it your own way…

Once upon a time, in a DZ bar…

My story begins, as all good stories should, in a drop zone bar. Perhaps too many beers had been downed, perhaps the people involved were a little loopy, but for whatever reason it was decided that four previously inexperienced jumpers would come together with very little money and take on the might of AAA 4 Way…

And so, Enigma was born:- a ‘concept team’, our plan was to prove that we could achieve great things without having to spend a lot.

Free Training Methods

With a heavy reliance on free training methods such as dirt diving, creeping and visualisation, we competed in all the regional Grand Prix [GPs] events and at the British Nationals, bagging ourselves a AAA Bronze medal in the UK Skydiving League (okay, so we were one of only three teams to attend all meets but so what) and coming second from last at Nationals – that’s right, we didn’t even come last!

What we learned from our year in AAA is that skydiving as a sport is generous, helpful and kind. Through attendance at GPs and asking around the drop zone, we received incredible help and support from coaches, more experienced skydivers and even other teams, who supposedly were our competition!

Passing on knowledge

Having caused something of a stir in AAA, we were proud to have raised awareness of the value of free training methods and strategic spending. The following year, we decided we would take our newfound knowledge, of how 4 way works and how to get the most out of a tight budget, and pass on what we learned to three new skydivers. Enigma Fource was born, featuring two of the original Enigma and three previously inexperienced skydivers.

Once again, we relied heavily on dirt diving, creeping and visualisation as well as well-planned tunnel time and the advice of others. Once again, we amazed ourselves by actually doing quite well, finishing a very respectable 4th in A at Nationals.

What had become apparent to us and those around us was the amount of fun we had in what are usually very stressful situations such as Nationals. Through an understanding that we were never going to break any records or win any medals, we were able to strive for our own goals and thus take the pressure off. We focused on keeping each other’s spirits up whilst maintaining the discipline to ensure we knew what we were doing and did it to our best ability.

Fun and learning

That’s how Enigma Block Party came into being. Over the previous couple of years it didn’t go unnoticed that Team Enigma was hugely fun and a great learning experience. With the 4 way hugely over-subscribed, we created Enigma Block Party, comprising 10 members and 3 camera men, making two 4 way teams and two alternates. Again, we relied predominantly on free training methods and the kindness of more experienced skydivers. We surpassed our own expectations once more – at Nationals we were thrilled when our two teams finished joint fifth in A.

Since then, some members of Enigma have gone on to compete in other teams, namely Eclipse (Jonny Flowers) and Hyrokkin (Sam Bemment and Chris Judd). Enigma members from the years competed in last year’s 8 way UK Nationals under the name ‘Jonny and Georgie’s Awkward Turtles’ and won the intermediate competition! … again using the philosophy that you don’t need to spend a fortune.

Throughout all of this, we’d never been able to invest heavily in training. We did what we could, spent money where we had it, but compared to our peers our monetary outlay was very little. So how is it, then, that a team that spends so relatively little can do so well?

A simple philosophy

It comes from a very simple philosophy: you don’t need to spend a lot to achieve a lot. By opening yourself up to the opportunities available – roadshows, magazine articles, the experience and kindness of others – you can go far in 4 way without spending a fortune. Proof that 4 way is not prohibitive. Rather, it is a discipline built on fun, camaraderie and generosity. Long may this continue!

Any way you want it

Consider also the Bodyflight Back Magic team that has entered the last 3 World Challenges doing 4 way on their backs! This year another team followed their example, Back Chatt, and had a huge amount of fun. You don’t have to follow anyone else’s pattern, do it your way!

Look out for Enigma members Laura Hampton, Sam Bemment, Chris Judd and James Woods in our 2014 team, Lowabusa, pictured below.