Jeramy Cosner -- Big Spoon for hire

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When thinking of who to bring you next, the only skydiver I could think of was Jeramy Cosner. I mean this guy is truly a unique soul. He goes by the "Big Spoon" however no matter how big he really thinks he is - I'll always be his little spoon, And that aspect of our friendship will haunt his days and dreams alike for the rest of his days. Recently PussFoot has added Jeramy to our team roster, with out a doubt he will be a valued member of the team for years to come. With that make sure to give the interview below a go. 

3,2,1 see ya

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Tell me who you are.

I am a meat popsicle.  Aside from that, I’m a family man who has a fantastic wife and some pretty badass kids.  I enjoy being active and outdoors, but am also not opposed to occasionally camping out on the couch to binge watch Rick and Morty or getting crushed by some random snot-nosed 12 year old online at Call of Duty.  I’m also a mediocre skydiver and an enthusiastic big spoon.  

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The Wife AKA Corey

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What do you do for work?  

I’m still Active Duty Army, working as a senior network engineer, mostly in a nerd leadership role.  I am also a skydiving instructor (AFF-I and tandem) at Skydive Paraclete XP. 

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 Part time super trooper 

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How did you become interested in skydiving? 

I figure the same way most of us did… by looking up.  I grew up skateboarding and rock climbing, did my first static line jump for the Army in 2001, and was fortunate enough to get introduced to bodyflight in the Paraclete XP wind tunnel in 2008.  The organization I worked for at the time used to have monthly tunnel time that wasn’t being used, so I was invited to partake, obviously became addicted to it, and a year and a half later was urged to stop playing indoors and take it to the sky.

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Wait I can do this full time?

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When did you start?

(Looking thoughtfully off into the distance and speaking in a longing voice) It was nearing the end of spring so the weather was both beautiful and windy.  I sat on a picnic bench under a tree every weekend for nearly a month until the sky gods would allow the winds to subside so students could invade the heavens.  On the second load of the day, I got geared up under the supervision of my instructors and was escorted to the wondrous beast that is the Twin Otter.  Once at altitude, I trepidatiously jumped out and haven’t really stopped since.

But more to your point, I began skydiving in May of 2010 in Raeford, NC, at a dropzone formerly known as Raeford Parachute Center but is now called Skydive Paraclete XP.

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Just like Brokeback He just cant quit

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Gerbils or Hamsters?

I honestly do not have a preference, but I also haven’t spent much time around either one.   Are we talking as a pet, as an appetizer, or as a “special” friend?

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Cute little fella Jeramy

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What is your most memorable moment as a skydiver?

Believe it or not, my most memorable moment was not in the sky.  I went to my first boogie at Skydive Sebastian’s Invasion at the end of 2011.  I barely had 200 jumps at the time and a group of us from Raeford met down there to enjoy the event.  My buddy Matt shows up because his (now) wife Jen was participating in the vertical record attempts.  Since she was off being a sky ninja, he joined our group and we jumped our asses off for a few days.  Matt is traditionally a belly RW guy and I had begun my freefly journey in the tunnel already, so we’d do a sit fly jump, land, and I’d give him small things to think about on the next one (fairly standard advice like keep your knees below your hips, push your shoulders not your elbows back, stop looking down).  He was geeking out on every jump.  This goes on for a few days, he’s killing it in the sky, and after the ridiculous New Year’s party, he and Jen drove back up to NC the next day.  On their drive he shot me a text that said “Had a blast jumping with you.  Thanks for all the coaching, Jeramy”.  It was at this moment that it finally sunk in who he really was.  I had met him through bar friends way before I started jumping, and when I finished AFF, he would invite me to goof off in the tunnel.  Looking at the text, it dawns on me that this is Matt Davidson, multi-time National and World Champion, been on the Golden Knights since forever, I’m sorry I can’t hear you over all the medals I have, but still unbelievably humble and open for instruction, continually a student, and willing to learn from anybody.  With my paltry 200 jumps, I realized that as I continued in my own skydiving career, that is how I want to be: always willing to help out and open to learn from someone regardless of their experience level.

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So pretty 

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What is your favorite part of the skydiver life? 

The community.  You never know who you’re talking to or jumping with and we’re all just here to look out for each other and enjoy.  It’s like the opening song for the show Weeds: doctors and lawyers and business executives…. but also nurses, fry cooks, HVAC specialists, military of all ranks, insurance adjusters, full time/professional skydivers/packers/riggers, stay-at-home parents, school teachers, and everything in between.  When you’re at the dropzone, all of that stuff falls by the wayside and we share what time we have together doing something we all love.

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The Things we do,and the people we meet 

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What is your least favorite part of the lifestyle?

Aside from the occasional injury or death, watching skydiving friends and family get wrapped up in something that detracts from why we all got into the sport in the first place.  Bottom line, I just want to jump.  I understand that when skydiving is your full time job that perspective can change, but never forget why you started and do everything you can to keep whatever that is going.  No egos, no fabricated drama, no hanging it up for the day at 2pm on a Sunday because the tandems are done… grab your rig and get on the next load.  There are so many disciplines in the sport with so much to be learned; go have fun, stay safe, and keep that passion going.

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This Is SKYDIVING

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Speedos or Ranger Panties?

Ranger panties, of course. 

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 Well played sir!

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Tell us about a day in your life

I wake up with less sleep than I need, sore because I’m getting older but have yet to admit that to myself, occasionally do a quick work out because if I get fat my wife will leave me, sometimes eat breakfast but never miss the opportunity to grab 4 shots of espresso lightly hidden behind some chai, and get to work.  During the week it’s doing nerd stuff with my teams for the Army and on the weekend it’s taking up students or tandems or fun jumping (unless we deliberately take the weekend off to spend some family time together).  At night I’m glued to a computer for a while (because I waited too long to start my graduate degree and am now drowning in homework), except for family dinner (which is a staple in our house) and taking a break to spend some time with the wife and kiddos.  Rinse, repeat, stay positive, help where I can, and keep growing.

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At least you have this to look forward to 

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Tell me about your shenanigans at boogies.

Whatever it is, pants are optional.  I don’t always come up with the ideas but I’ll damn well see them through.  Never been shy about making a fool of myself, especially if it’s all in good fun.

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Does that helmet say Free Candy

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I know you like to wear women's underwear, full backs or thongs?

Granny panties or full backs, definitely.  I wore a thong once and it was… an experience.

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 we know -- we know

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Do You travel often?

As often as necessary.  I used to travel excessively for work, but I’ve since promoted myself out of the fun stuff.  On the upside, when I do travel now (personally or professionally), it is usually to nicer places or to do enjoyable things.  

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Joshua Tree 

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What's next for you and your adventures?

Currently in a holding pattern, at least for the next few months.  I have the potential to get promoted once more in the Army which would culminate 21+ years of service, be a huge honor and tremendously humbling OR retire and go find a real people job.  We’re in a good spot either way.  Definitely looking forward to this year’s boogies though (Point Break, Alien Octopus Invasion, and maybe some others).

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When a man swoops he becomes god like

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Where would you like to see yourself in 10 years?

Deciding if I want to keep working or hang it all up and just travel.  Obviously if I am enjoying whatever career follows the Army, I’ll continue for as long as they’ll have me.  If not, then why not become an ExPat and explore other countries for as long as we can get Visas for?  I enjoy having a general plan, but not hard set objectives.  Life is too fluid to think we have any real clue as to where we’ll be in 10 years.  It’d be wonderful to spend more time with my folks and siblings.  Overall though, in 10 years, I want my kids to be happy, productive, fulfilled people and my wife to still be laughing at my jokes.  Everything else will fluctuate… and that is perfectly okay.

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Family Man 

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What was your favorite boogie and why?

There can’t be a favorite, some are just gooder than others.  Invasion 2011 will always be special because it was my first (in so many ways that I bought a keg of beer instead of the requisite case).  CarolinaFest 2012 was also monumental for me because that was the first boogie that I participated in the organized jumps and got a glimpse of how much more I could learn and do.  Skydive Coastal Carolinas used to host an event called FemurFest that was jam packed with the folks who helped mold me as a young skydiver, but the annual Point Break boogie has already shown itself to be an extraordinarily amazing time.

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Did you say Point Break

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Sweetarts or Spree?

Are Sprees still a thing?

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Yes Jeramy they are

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What is the craziest thing you have done at a boogie?

There was a dual lane inflatable bungee cord attached race thing that proved to be fantastic.  Wingsuiting with a PD Katana in my rig was pretty stupid.  Handstands out the back of the Casa was a blast.  Naked midnight swimming in the ocean was pretty memorable.  Anytime you fill the entire plane for a speedstar, life gets spicy for a bit.

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Well this looks like fun 

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Never mind a boogie, what's the craziest thing you've ever just done?...

That’s a fun question.  Does it have to be just one thing?  How about some highlights?  Had kids.  Peed off the roof of Saddam Hussein’s Al Faw Palace.  Climbed front range mountains in Colorado without following the trails.  Went bar hopping in Nairobi.  Had a MySpace account.  Gotten stuck in a traffic jam in Kabul.  Went hiking in Africa.  Ordered the “Gotta Have It” size at Cold Stone.  Became a tandem instructor.  Let a bartender take me home…

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I like your style!

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I heard you like to pal around with some girl named Corey what's that like?

Speaking of the bartender, life with Corey is fun.  Never a dull moment… and when it gets dull, she lets me know.  She’s my beautiful pain in the ass.  What a driven and talented woman; literally kicks ass at whatever she decides to take an interest in.  Concert musician, physical therapy, rock climbing, being a mom, packing parachutes (and now a rigger), bodyflight in the tunnel... sometimes it’s nauseating.  Some of us have to actually put effort into being good at stuff.

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She is one hell of a Rigger too

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Do you have any advice for a new skydiver?...

Take your time, but stay hungry.  I know these are opposing ideals, but hear me out.  All the ninja shit in the sky is available to you, but learn your foundations.  In the sky, a lot of what you do is based on understanding the surface area of your body and how it affects the wind.  Spend time on your belly, holding hands with friends and having a blast, to really get a sense of what the wind is doing.  Belly flying is unbelievably dynamic and having that foundation solid will make learning the other styles of bodyflight go more successfully.  You *can* start freeflying at jump 26, however, if you want to do more than backslide across the sky and see your friend 100 yards away from you in the sky, be okay with taking your time to learn the foundations of body flight.  Same goes for canopy piloting.  Be patient, learn your wing, do high pulls and explore your canopy’s capabilities, and stay safe.  The goal is to do it again…. and again after that.

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Do you have any advice for anyone looking to progress in this sport?  

Find a coach and pay for their time.  Coaching in skydiving has really matured the past few years and is at a point where you have full access to the best athletes in the sport’s entire wealth of knowledge.  It might just be worth your time taking a canopy course or learning how to make that next step in the air with bodyflight from a national or world champion near your dropzone… and they’re eager to share.  And spend some time in the tunnel.  I love tunnel flying just about as much as I love jumping.  Here’s a place you can go and literally “buy skillz”.  The more you learn how to fly your body in a controlled environment with direct and immediate feedback, the more you can do in the sky.  Having those crazy successful jumps will keep you hungry and chasing the next load. 

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Thats not the tunnel 

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If you were a drink what would you be and why?

Pineapple juice with (insert your favorite alcoholic additive here after the plane is put away for the day), because I am refreshing (sometimes ad nauseum; the older pilots at Raeford used to avoid me toward the end of a long day of jumping because they knew I was trying to put together one last load) and tasty (I’ve begun to turn grey, so I am no longer boyishly good looking but am now ruggedly handsome), but sometimes too much is too much.  

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 bit more brown rather then grey

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Do you prefer the number 37 or 51?

37, because it is a prime number.

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 Didn't you know Prime numbers always lie

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After a few of them drinks, how would you feel if I whispered “cream pie” in your ear? 

Damn woman, I just gave you sweet loving 5 minutes ago.  What’re you trying to do, kill me?!

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Thank you Jeramy for taking some time to do this with me. I am lucky to call you a friend and sorry i had to bounce last weekend, we will send it ESP at Point Break.

Until then stay safe, keep on keeping on and Blue Skies

xoxo