Many Sports Change And Evolve.

MANY SPORTS CHANGE AND EVOLVE. Until 1980 skydiving looked something like this: Jump out of plane, free-fall, deploy parachute, float gently to ground, repeat. But that year several skydivers experimented by jumping out of a plane holding Styrofoam boogie boards. Lying flat on the board, they’d “air surf” before opening their chutes.

It wasn’t long—seven years to be exact—before French skydiver Joel Cruciani leapt from an aircraft with a surfboard strapped to his feet . . . and the sport of skysurfing was born.

Of course, tweaks still had to be made. Jerry Loftis became the first American to skysurf in 1990. Later that year at the first World Freestyle Championships in Texas, each surfer jumped with a cameraflyer, who videotaped the performer’s entire routine so judges could easily score the competition from videotape.

The phenomenal speeds, mind-dizzying spins, tight tumbles, and amazing camera angles caught the public’s attention as skysurfing started showing up in television commercials and sports shows. At the first X Games in 1995, ten skysurfing teams competed for the top prize, which went to Americans Rob Harris and Joe Jennings.

EXTRA < < < < < < < < < < < < < <

POINT People have always wanted to fly. Even before parachutes were invented, folks would jump off buildings with wings attached to their arms (definitely not a good idea). Skysurfing may be the closest to flying an athlete will ever get. By standing on the board, skysurfers can slow themselves down and cut across the sky. And by going upside down, these adrenaline junkies can spin and gyrate in ways not possible on the ground. There are few limits in the sky.

As Christians, we also have few limits. A relationship with Jesus frees us from sin and death and allows us to soar. God doesn’t want our faith to bog us down and force us to crawl along the ground. Our heavenly Father desires for us to experience what true freedom is in him.

GOAL! Imagine what it’s like to surf through the air—the thrills, the exhilaration, the freedom. Realize that’s why Jesus came to earth—to bring all those things into your life. We can thank God that true freedom from sin can only be found in him.