{"id":17953,"date":"2018-02-21T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-02-21T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/skydivemag.com\/new\/?p=17953"},"modified":"2018-02-21T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2018-02-21T00:00:00","slug":"2018-02-21-catching-up-with-rook-nelson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.skydivemag.com\/new\/2018-02-21-catching-up-with-rook-nelson\/","title":{"rendered":"Catching up with Rook Nelson"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rook Nelson is widely known as being the mastermind behind the Vertical Elite World Records, a World Champion, Owner of Skydive Chicago and host of the world-renowned boogie, Summerfest. Skydiving runs thick in his bloodline; it is a part of him and always will be.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Selfie<\/p>\n

Having made his first tandem skydive with his father at the age of four, he followed suit in the family business of skydiving and intends to pass it on to future generations. While his extensive resume is accomplished and inspirational, it is his humble nature and drive to succeed which are his real traits to aspire to. He was kind enough to make time in his busy schedule to let me ask him some questions…<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Rook<\/p>\n

Aside from your killer competitive nature, what do you love about Organizing the Vertical World Record?<\/strong><\/p>\n

For me, it\u2019s the challenge of putting it all together and making it work. I love when people say it\u2019s impossible because it motivates me to try and figure out how to do it. I come from a family of doing World Records and I feel like it\u2019s in our blood, but ultimately, I really like uniting as a team and achieving that goal as a whole.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

If you think about Nationals; you show up to Nationals and you have your little team, and you\u2019re high-fiving all the other teams, but, well, it\u2019s very fake. You don\u2019t really want them to do well; you want to win! [laughter] But, when you compete on a record, we are all on one team!<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The drive and the desire it takes, and what people will do to make that Record work! That\u2019s motivating! And I can dig that! I want everyone to get down, support each other, and fight for one team. Versus giving a fake high-five, because I want you to lose! [He laughs and I get the chills from the passion and enthusiasm he conveys]<\/p>\n

\"Building<\/p>\n

Are you excited to see some new faces dock on this record?<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Absolutely, we\u2019ve seen a ton of motivation for this record. When I did the last one, I felt like I was kind of forcing it along and pushing the ball up hill, and this time it\u2019s different.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

I mean, the Fly4Life guys are even doing Vertical camps, and that\u2019s not something you see them do. That\u2019s impressive, and we\u2019re seeing it all over with all the State Records\u00ad\u2014 Canada just did their Record, and the Cali Record is coming up\u2014 J. Russ has a warm up in Florida coming up soon. They have 80 people signed up for it and it\u2019s not even a tryout.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Ultimately, it\u2019s the adventure that\u2019s the fun part, right? It\u2019s these camps, these tryouts, and the people that we meet. That\u2019s the real reason we do Records.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a big swing for Head Down World Records right now, so I\u2019m excited to meet a lot of new faces. It\u2019s really cool to see a lot of motivated flyers come out, who want to join the Vertical Elite.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Although, people at a Record\u2014 they never talk to the organizers until the Record is done because they don\u2019t want to draw attention to themselves. [laughter] It\u2019s the classic thing at a record\u2014 Do your job, be seen, but don\u2019t be seen, right? Because if you\u2019re seen, you\u2019re probably not doing your job, and then you might get cut.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

But, once we get the record, I meet a whole lot of people. People come up to me saying, \u2018Hey, I wanted to introduce myself, but you probably know why I didn\u2019t.\u2019 And I\u2019m like, \u2018Yeah. Well, thanks for coming out.\u2019 [laughter]<\/p>\n

\"164<\/p>\n

For those attempting to make the cut for the 2018 Vertical World Record, what does it take to get to the Elite level?<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s say we are trying to do something that isn\u2019t skydiving. Imagine you were one of four people in a room that trusted each other, undoubtedly. You could accomplish anything with those other three people. You know everybody else is going to pull their weight. They\u2019re going to do their job. And they\u2019re going to be successful. You trust them, and if you just pull your weight, do your job, and be successful, you can do great things together.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

If you break down what a World Record is\u2014 It\u2019s one point, right? The thing about a Record though, is when you jump out, there\u2019s a lot of hesitation. Ultimately, what you lack, is trust in everybody else. At first, you don\u2019t know if you\u2019re going to do your job. You don\u2019t know if the guy next to you is going to do his job. Then, with every attempt, and more repetition at it, suddenly, you\u2019re like, \u2018wait a second, they are doing their job. Now I need to do mine.\u2019<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

If we were to walk up to jump number one of a Record, with 100% trust, in every single person. I guarantee you, we would get it on the first jump. But, we have to build trust, and develop new relationships. We have to communicate. We have to high-five. We have to make sure we\u2019re not going to kill each other. And then, we\u2019re going to be able to perform.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

If we were to walk up to jump number one of a Record, with 100% trust, in every single person. I guarantee you, we would get it on the first jump<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/p>\n

So, when you show up to a Record Camp, don\u2019t trust everybody right away, because that\u2019s a good way to get hurt. But, understand the process of what\u2019s going to happen throughout your Camp.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Just because you don\u2019t get an invite on the first try-out, it doesn\u2019t mean don\u2019t go to another one. Learn from it. Take everything you can gather from it. Use what you learn, and know what to attack on your next tryout. You\u2019re going to learn and develop that trust along the entire path.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t be down on yourself; because everybody has a bad day. For example, I\u2019ve cut my sister from a World Record. I\u2019ve cut a lot of the Organizers of events that people pay a lot of money to go to\u2014 off of World Records. Don\u2019t be discouraged, if this isn\u2019t your year. I guarantee, in three years, I\u2019ll do another one.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Ultimately, it\u2019s the adventure that\u2019s the fun part, right? It\u2019s these camps, these tryouts, and the people that we meet. That\u2019s the real reason we do Records.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve cut my sister from a World Record<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Rook<\/p>\n

Congratulations on your recent engagement to longtime girlfriend, Heidi. Will you be having a skydiving-related wedding or keeping the ceremonies off DZ?<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The wedding probably won\u2019t be skydiving related, but we\u2019ll certainly have something for everybody to be a part of. But first, we\u2019re going to have our little baby boy.<\/p>\n

\"Rook<\/p>\n

That\u2019s very exciting; when\u2019s the due date?<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

March 8th. Everybody\u2019s going to leave and when they come back in the Spring we\u2019ll have a kid.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Do you think that\u2019s going to change your participation in the sport?<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t think it will. Heidi knows how important skydiving is to me and when I don\u2019t jump, I annoy her. [Laughter] She is very encouraging and you know the saying, \u2018behind every man is a better woman\u2019, that\u2019s true with Heidi. She often steers me in good directions for business decisions, and she is very supportive of what we do.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Your name, Rook, is unusual and unforgettable. Is there a story behind it?<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

It\u2019s actually a nickname. Not too many people know that. My real name is Matthew, but the bank and Heidi, when she\u2019s mad, are just about the only ones that call me that. [Laughter] I got the nickname when I was a little kid. Manifest always runs on a PA system and there were a bunch of Matts that worked at the dropzone. They started calling me Rook over the PA and it just stuck. I\u2019ve been going by it ever since.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Are you going to pass on a unique name to your son too?<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Yeah, his name is going to be Rocket!<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

That\u2019s awesome, Rocket, because he\u2019s going to be fast as \u2026, right? [Laughter]<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Yeah, that\u2019s right, that\u2019s right. [a proud look overcomes him] I can just see him in school. They\u2019re going to be doing roll call\u2014 Is Michael here? Is Tom here? Is ROCKET here? [Stoked Laughter]<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

In 5 words or less, describe your relationship with skydiving<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Adventure, Challenge, Family, Exciting, Fulfilling.<\/p>\n

\"Rook<\/p>\n

Why have you decided to fly with Sun Path for so long?<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Pat [Thomas, Owner of Sun Path Products, Inc.] gave me my first rig back in 1994. There was a short hiatus when I jumped a Voodoo, but I went back to flying the Javelin Odyssey after a couple of years. I have been jumping them ever since. For me, sponsorship is not necessarily just about the equipment; it\u2019s also about the relationship you have with the company. It has been an excellent relationship from the beginning. It started out with Pat and the way she\u2019s always treated us. Even before I got a team together, she was looking after us. When my first team started competing, she upped the support because she believed in us. It allowed us to compete. As the company grew, she continued to keep her word by supporting us. Her communication as a sponsor has always been amazing. The Javelin Odyssey was already awesome but she has always listened to our feedback as athletes and made changes to the rig that set the bar even higher.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

What do you love about your Javelin as a Freefly rig?<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve never had any issues with them as far as weird malfunctions or flaps coming open with them and I am a big fan of \u2018if it\u2019s not broke, don\u2019t fix it.\u2019 It\u2019s the most comfortable and secure Freefly rig out there and the personal attention we\u2019ve received to make them fit and fly exactly how we want them to; well, that really makes Sun Path stand out above its competitors.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Achieving your goals is way more rewarding than anything else<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Rook<\/p>\n

As one of the respected legends in the sport, is there anything you would want to improve on your Javelin or anything you think Sun Path can do better as a company?<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Um, well, I thought you had to be dead to be a legend! [laughing] I\u2019m not a legend quite yet!<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

You know [still laughing] you guys do great. Pat and Sun Path\u2019s support goes beyond the individual sponsorship of me as a jumper. She supports the events we do too, specifically the World Meet and I really can\u2019t ask for a better relationship than that. The rig is fantastic and she is great to work with. I\u2019m still trying to get my [SDC Core] teammates to switch over. So, we\u2019ll see how that lines up.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

I thought you had to be dead to be a legend!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/p>\n

Thanks for taking the time to talk with me Rook. Any final thoughts you\u2019d like to share?<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Yeah, jump a Javelin and follow your goals. Think about what you want to do, in the next day, the next week, the next month. By breaking it down into the criteria of what you need to succeed, you can achieve great things and achieving your goals is way more rewarding than anything else.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Article originally on the Sun Path website,<\/em> here<\/em><\/a>, reproduced with permission.<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Rook Nelson is widely known as being the mastermind behind the Vertical Elite World Records, a World Champion, Owner of Skydive Chicago and host of the world-renowned boogie, Summerfest. Skydiving runs thick in his bloodline; it is a part of him and always will be. Having made his first tandem skydive with his father at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sfsi_plus_gutenberg_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_show_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_type":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_alignemt":"","sfsi_plus_gutenburg_max_per_row":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"pmpro_default_level":"","_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17953","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","pmpro-has-access"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nCatching up with Rook Nelson - Skydivemag<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.skydivemag.com\/new\/2018-02-21-catching-up-with-rook-nelson\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Catching up with Rook Nelson\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Rook Nelson is widely known as being the mastermind behind the Vertical Elite World Records, a World Champion, Owner of Skydive Chicago and host of the world-renowned boogie, Summerfest. 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