GUINNESS RECORDS Hoop-de-do! Sky diver wants title

A township man is hoping to set the first world record for a sky-diving trick.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
AUSTINTOWN -- Archie Diehl Jr. spends much of his time helping the sick and injured as a licensed practical nurse at St. Elizabeth Health Center in Youngstown, but now the 49-year-old township resident is hoping to flip his way into the Guinness Book of Records.
In his spare time, Diehl breaks away from the life-saving and comfort-making techniques of his chosen profession and opts for what some call the life-threatening, adrenaline-surge-inducing sport of sky diving. It is, however, what he does while in the air that Diehl hopes will land him a world record.
His claim to fame
Diehl flips his entire body through a standard size Hula Hoop while free falling -- something he says no one else in the sky-diving world does. He has flipped through the Hula Hoop as many as 42 times in a 52-second free fall. The objective, he said, is to get as many flips through the plastic circle as possible in under a minute.
In that minute, Diehl will cover a span of about two miles, during which he takes only about two breaths.
Diehl fell into sky diving 13 years ago after another nurse showed him a tape she made while sky diving. Not to be outdone, Diehl made it a point to try it out himself. He took his first jump shortly thereafter.
After his first jump, Diehl spent the next year studying the sport before taking flight again.
"It's such a friendly atmosphere out there; it makes you want to come back, even if it's just to watch or bring your family out and have a picnic," he said. "I wanted to do something to find myself."
Master jumper
He has since logged 620 jumps and became a skilled Master Jumper.
The Hula Hoop came into play somewhat by accident about four years ago.
Diehl said he has seen cable TV shows in which one sky diver would hold a Hula Hoop while another sky diver would go through it. He would later try that stunt with friends, but he discovered he could hold the hoop and flip through it all by himself.
Once he discovered he could perform the trick solo, Diehl began to practice and count his flips in under a minute. He spent two years perfecting the trick before telling anyone or contacting the Guinness Book of Records.
Diehl said he contacted Guinness about two years ago. He has also submitted a videotape of himself in action.
The Hula Hoop-flipping Diehl has yet to appear in the records book, but he has heard from Guinness representatives asking that he be patient because of the number of submissions sent to the publication.
The Guinness Internet site says about 65,000 submissions are sent to the publication annually from around the world. There are only about 4,000 records published in the book each year. The site says submissions are often held for future publications.
Diehl said he will be sending an updated tape to Guinness representatives as soon as the weather permits another jump and another taping.
Plays it safe
Diehl has never had any broken bones or sky-diving-related injuries, something he attributes to safety precautions and very few risky techniques -- besides the Hula Hoop. Proper preparation and safe landings are the key to successful jumps, he said.
"You have to be in good shape, and you have to have a clear head. I tell the kids I talk to that you cannot drink or whatever and do this, because everything happens at such a high rate of speed," he said. "You and the ground are going to meet. It just depends on, on whose terms."
jgoodwin@vindy.com