I always thought that the windy city referred to the Chicago Politicians, then I found the following online:

[Q] From John Branch: “I’ve heard three explanations for the term Windy City as an epithet for Chicago, Illinois: the common assumption that it refers to the winds gusting through the city (understandable to anyone who’s been there); the boasting of Chicagoans to the rest of America about the glories of their rebuilt city after the Great Fire; and the blustering of Chicago politicians to the city’s inhabitants. My guess is that the first could easily be invention after the fact, while the last is too local to account for the term’s familiarity elsewhere. What do your sources tell you?”

[A] It is indeed often said that the word windy in the name refers to the long-winded and boastful speech of Chicago politicians.
The story you will commonly find is that it dates to shortly before the great World’s Columbian Exhibition of 1893. Chicago was putting forward its claim with great verve and bombast. This really got up the nose of people in New York, which was competing with Chicago to host the exhibition. Animosity became so bad that Charles A Dana, editor of the New York Sun, wrote an editorial telling New Yorkers to pay no attention to the “nonsensical claims of that windy city. Its people could not hold a world’s fair even if they won it”. The history books tell us that Chicago did win it and did hold it (and even made a profit from it). Books also tell us that the nickname of Windy City dates from that editorial.
This story is wrong. There are several recorded instances of Chicago being called the Windy City before Mr. Dana put his pen to paper. That we now have what looks like the real story is owed, as so often with American expressions, to Barry Popik, part-time parking judge and expert amateur word sleuth.

For example, he found this in the Chicago Tribune for 11 September 1886: “The name of ‘Windy City,’ which is sometimes used by village papers in New York and Michigan to designate Chicago, is intended as a tribute to the refreshing lake breezes of the great summer resort of the West, but is an awkward and rather ill-chosen expression and is doubtless misunderstood”.
It has only recently been discovered that the term appears even earlier, in a headline on the front page of the Cleveland Gazette for 19 September 1885, reporting several items of news from Chicago, particularly a judicial decision: “From the Windy City: Judge Foote’s Civil Right decision”. For the nickname to be well enough known in Cleveland that it appeared in a headline without explanation indicates that it was by 1885 getting to be an established term.
Mr. Popik has suggested that the name actually originated in a scheme by the Chicago Tribune about that date to promote the city as a summer resort, using the cool breeze off the lake as the basis of its attraction. Before then, Chicago was usually nicknamed Garden City (its Latin motto was and is Urbs in Horto, “city in a garden”). There seems to have been a shift from the old name to the new in the middle 1880s.

A few more weekends of wind and they are going to have to change the reasoning to actually being windy!

First, I want to say goodbye to 2 dear friends of mine.  They have been part of the family since the beginning and have now moved on.  There work has effected everyone that has been to Skydive Chicago and not once have they ever asked for a thank you.  Most staff members including myself have spent many hours with them and have pondered many thoughts together while traversing the grounds.  Their contribution is greatly appreciated and we hope there new families are good to them.

In other news we had Guy Wright stop by this week.  He arrived on Thursday to host a Diamonds and Jewels event.   With a battle against the weather they were still able to get in a few unique 2-plane shot dives.   The camp was a great way to warm-up for the upcoming POPS record.  Thanks to Guy and all the participants who attended.

Saturday was MWSL meet #2 and there was quite the buzz in the hangar.   7 teams came out to compete against each other and the 25 MPH winds that rolled in around noon.  Thanks to the rocket Otters we were able to get in 4 rounds before the winds grounded most teams.  Check out the results HERE.

                      Photo By Pete Jabczynski

Two years in the making we were able to get in a High Altitude load.  N10EA made short work of the climb to 20,000’, getting there in less than 20 minutes.  23 jumpers took part in the 2-minute freefall.  The afternoon jump was weathered out, however, we are planning another jump August 23rd.

Longtime campground resident Tony Parker held his wedding reception at SDC Saturday.  His wedding took place in Oswego and they rode Harleys to the DZ for dinner and the party.  The auditorium was set up for 194 guests to enjoy a delicious buffet meal prepared by Genies Café.  The party lasted well into the night with some bike burnouts!  While the auditorium was rocking the rest of the jumpers gathered by the tiki-bar to unwind from the busy day.

                   Photo By Pete Jabczynski

Genie’s Café is going to try something different for dinner starting this weekend. Tickets will be used to guarantee your plate.  You will be able to purchase tickets until 5pm.  They will be making additional plates, but those with tickets will be guaranteed food.  The Tiki Hut will be open on Thursday evening around 9PM; Friday’s dinner will include Surf & Turf, corn on the cob, salad & dessert for $12.00.  Saturday’s dinner will be a Cesar Salad, Spaghetti with marinara and meatballs,  Italian sausage with green peppers & onions, vegetable, garlic biscuits & dessert for $10.00.  Also, the Tiki Hut will be open on Saturday during the day serving assorted burgers, brats, & dogs.  Hopefully, we’ll see you there.

Yet another forecast that was wrong. 

Sunday, after a short rain shower, it cleared up and Guy was in the air with his group.  John was busy getting the swoop club course set up.  After the great swoops were totaled, Ben Crooch came in 1st place, Steve Verner in 2nd, and Frank Shisler in 3rd.   The 100 tandem days are becoming the norm, which is nice.  With a battle of weather, and a few times moving the planes inside, we were able to get most everyone in the air. 

We have a great holiday weekend in store.  Thursday SOS (skydivers over sixty) will be attempting a record.  Friday we start the POPS 84-way record; also we will have a helicopter out here for jumps.  Jumps will be $40 to 4500 feet.  It will only be out here Friday so don’t miss out. 

Saturday will continue the POPS record and the freefly money meet will begin.  We will have three Otters on the flighline to keep the calls down.  The money meet is a great way to improve your skills.  There will be different categories to enter and it’s a scrambles style event.  You will be teamed up with different people throughout the comp.  You will ‘use’ everyone for points and the person with the most points at the end wins (duh). 

Saturday night around 9:30 pm will be our firework show and UFO jump.  If you have never been here I highly recommend attending the show.   There will be live entertainment at the tiki-bar before and after the fireworks.  Please respect the bar and do not bring in alcohol.  

Coming up the weekend after the 4th is team training.  Last camp we did 53 jumps in 4 days!!  We guarantee the loads Thursdays and Friday and crank out the jumps.  If you are interested in VRW at all we debrief in the hanger on the big screen for everyone to learn and be a part.  SDC furies will be joining us for this camp for a total of 5 teams!!

Speaking of the Furies they will be hosting a beginner 3 way scrambles on the 19th for people wanting to improve their RW and 4 way skills. 

                   Photo By Pete Jabczynski

Right around the corner is Summerfest July 26th-Aug 3rd.  The event is really starting to take shape with lots of vendors and entertainment on the calendar.  Not to mention hot air balloons, helicopters, and casa’s.  Registration is $50 for the entire event or $25 per day.  If you are going to be on the grounds you must register.   Check out the latest info HERE.

Thanks to everyone for a great weekend and I look forward to a rocking 4th. 


Rook