90 reasons to skydive

Fifty people watched as Violet Maskell made her jump. She's already planning her next adventure - hang gliding into the Grand Canyon. Photo / Northern Advocate

Whangarei great-great-grandmother Violet Maskell is a high-flying thrillseeker, despite her advanced years.

There was an uproar from her family when she announced earlier this year she would try skydiving to celebrate her 90th birthday.

Daughters Barbara Ashwell and Bev Turvey told her "no way!" and said the jump would be "over our dead bodies".

When their mother didn't flinch at this bullying tactic, the daughters took her up in a hot-air balloon during a visit to Australia to "get this parachuting nonsense out of her head".

But the balloon flight at Canberra in October was too tame for Violet who said it was "old womanish".

Back home in Whangarei, Violet found support for her birthday skydive from her son, Bill Ashwell of Kohukohu. But Barbara, of Sydney, and Bev, from Tikipunga, were adamant they wouldn't attend the jump.

Violet thought she would have to go it alone, so she told her two hairdressers and they promised to be there when she made the leap.

Word got around and about 50 people turned up to see the skydive at Onerahi airport this month, including Barbara and Bev.

The birthday girl had all the meaty goss on her Ballistic Blondes parachutist team tandem jumpmaster, Gary Cullen. "He's the butcher at Ruakaka."

And Gary certainly knows how to charm the ladies. "Violet is fantastic. I know she is 90, but you would think she is 40 - she's so together."

Strapped together, they swooped down from 4000m without incident and a very satisfied Violet said: "It was something different - something out of my bucket before I go."

So what does Violet plan to do to celebrate her next birthday? She said she'd be a starter to tandem hang glide into the Grand Canyon in the United States, although she didn't want to bump her legs when landing because it could hurt her varicose veins.

In the meantime, Violet, who said she had lost count of her grand, great-grand and great-great grandchildren, aims to sort out Barbara and Bev.

"I planned to do that skydive quietly, but all those people were there with their families and friends," she said.

"I could have shot my daughters - they were more excited than anyone."

- NORTHERN ADVOCATE