Lori Kraemer Clark has kept current for 44 years, making skydives in every calendar year dating back to 1983. During that time, she has worked and retired as a paramedic and firefighter in Tucson, Arizona, participated in multiple women’s world records and made a home at Skydive Arizona, where she is passionate about mentoring young skydivers and leading Sisters in Skydiving events. On any given day in Eloy, Clark can be found organizing a group of skydivers, teaching her skills and putting smiles on faces.
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“Lori is very friendly, always welcoming to skydivers, new and regular, and works to plan the skydive around the other jumpers—the kind of organizer a skydiver hopes to find when they come to a drop zone.” —Alice Hicks, Parachutist profilee #260
Age: 62
Height: 5’7”
Birthplace: Turtle Lake, North Dakota
Marital Status: Married 25 years to Shane Clark
Children: Two daughters, Sierra and Kendall
Pets: Two black cats, Shadow and Lucky
Occupation: Retired Tucson firefighter and paramedic
Pet Peeves: Bullies
Favorite Food: Salmon
Life Philosophy: Love God, love others.
Jump Philosophy: Always be open to learning. If you think you know everything about skydiving, it’s time to quit.
Team Name: Team LB
Sponsors: Advanced Aerospace Designs Vigil; ambassador for L&B Altimeters
Container: Rigging Innovations Curv, RI Talon 3
Main Canopy: JYRO Safire 3 189, Innovative Parachute Technologies Axon 190
Reserve: Performance Designs Optimum, PDR
AAD: Vigil
Disciplines: Mostly formation skydiving, learning freefly and angle
Home DZ: Skydive Arizona
First Jump: 1983
Records: All the Jump for the Cause women’s world records. Also, the P3 women’s sequential large-formation record in 2014. And some Parachutists Over Phorty Society records and medals, too.
Total Number of Jumps: 7,650
FS: 5,200
Tandems: 1,716
Freestyle: 150
Freefly: 75
Largest completed formation: 181, all women.
Cutaways: 10: 5 solo, 5 tandem
What do you look for when teaching a new skydiver?
I am looking for someone who is coachable and willing to learn. I look for the jumper who lacks self-confidence and then work with them to be successful and develop confidence in their ability.
How did you get started?
I jumped army surplus round canopies for about 45 jumps. Then I made seven jumps on a “high-performance” round called a Starlite. When I showed up at Marana Skydiving Center in Arizona during my college Christmas break, I was not allowed to jump my ghetto gear. I was given a square transition course, gear rental, pack job and a jumpmaster for the price of the jump. I think it was $7. (Did I mention that I was a college cheerleader at the time?)
Most people don't know this about me:
My actual name is Loraine. It’s my old lady name. I’ll let you know when I’m ready to use it.
Who has been your skydiving mentor?
When I started skydiving and was instructing, Gail Simms was my mentor. Later, as a load organizer, I looked up to Carolyn Clay and Kate Cooper-Jensen. Right now, I would love to fly on all axes like my friend, Wendi Corbin.
Any suggestions for students?
Same thing I tell new parents—don’t blink. Enjoy each current moment because they will pass quickly. I’d actually suggest journaling your thoughts and feelings so that later, when the memory is not so good, you can relive those formative moments in skydiving.
What's the most badass thing you can do in the air?
I can make eye contact with someone in freefall and, without saying a word, they will know they are in the wrong slot.
Most embarrassing skydiving moment:
I was the lead dive floater in a trail plane for a women’s record attempt in New York in 1991. Everyone on our Twin Otter was to follow me to the base. Our floaters exited and I did my dive-float thing and headed to the base. I could not find the base. I looked back up at the planes and saw that the base was still on the tailgate. And to make matters worse, there were clouds everywhere. I was leading a plane of skydivers into a cloud. I don’t even remember if I just tracked until pull time or what! We all lived to tell about it, but that was one of the scariest, confusing and most embarrassing moments of my life.
The toughest thing to do in the sport is:
I think it will be knowing when it is time to stop. I’m not there and I don’t know how anyone comes to that conclusion lightly. I certainly don’t want to make the decision painfully. When to stop jumping is not something that you think about when you are young and hitting it hard. While I still feel young, I see my friends who are jumping into their 70s and 80s. I’ve witnessed several make the decision to be done with skydiving, usually because of shoulder issues or a hard landing. My mom developed dementia in her late 80s, so there’s that to think about.
Suggestions for USPA:
I would love to see a greater investment (time and energy) in building the SIS program beyond events. Individual drop zones like Skydive Arizona seem to do SIS events pretty well, but for some women, having a mentor for support during non-events is needed. We have a large population of female skydivers at SDAZ, but I know that being a female skydiver at small DZs can be challenging depending on the culture.
Weirdest skydiving moment?
On Bill Jones’ ash dive, the plan was for Josh Hall to spot the CASA and then go to the back of the exit lineup. So, Josh looked at the ground off the tailgate , then went behind all the jumpers and we all exited. Far, far from the landing area. Josh was actually going to the cockpit to tell the pilots that we were way beyond the DZ and needed a go-around. When Josh told this to the camera flyer on the tailgate, the camera flyer clearly didn’t hear a thing that he said and promptly gave the count. Josh looked back from the cockpit and found that we had all exited the aircraft without him. I could see the LZ on the horizon. I had never previously even looked at the area below me, which was across from the CAP canal and covered in motocross trails. We all landed safely in the boonies and were picked up by the DZ search and rescue vehicles.
What do you enjoy most about Skydive Arizona’s SIS events?
I love that our goal is to provide an event that is designed to be welcoming and educational for the new jumper, but also inclusive for the experienced SISters. It’s really about networking and building the bonds that bring women back to Skydive Arizona every year. I personally enjoy jumping with as many new attendees as possible.
Explain Lori in five words or fewer:
Faith and family first; love God, love others. Also can’t do basic math.