Taz

One of the photos... Pierre may have more, I was flying his camera so we could debrief on the PAL TV :-)

At the 2nd Annual tonto Boogie this weekend, PASA judges officially approved the first ever official South African Wingsuit Record: an 8-way formation. PASA has adopted the same grid being used by the USPA as the judging standard.

I flew video. Congratulations to the record holders:

Bernard van Biljon
Edzard Biermann
Pierre Marais Badenhorst
Riaan Bergh
Marc Bouwer
Dian Kemp
Eugene "Pottie" Potgieter
Brando Bacci

What an awesome weekend at JSC!

I'll post a photo tomorrow. -T

Good question. Wingsuiters of any citizenship are welcome and encouraged to participate. We already have flyers registered from:

USA
Australia
UK
Finland
Denmark
South Africa
Russia

That's off the top of my head so I might have forgotten some.

The United States Parachute Association is currently the only sport governing body to officially recognize wingsuit large formation records. For this reason, the judging will be done according to the accepted USPA system.

The IPC does not meet until January 2010, and only then can we request FAI recognition. Official FAI world records for Largest Wingsuit Formation are the ultimate goal, and we are getting there. We can't do it without the participation and support of wingsuit flyers from all over the world.

In order to qualify as a USPA record, at least 51 percent of participants must be USPA members, and the remainder must be "USPA members or the foreign equivalent," i.e. a member of the BPA, PASA, or other national body. Rules are in the Skydiver's Competition Manual page 175.

No matter where you are from, if you are qualified to fly in a large formation, please register now and participate.

Blue skies,
-T

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"Blue Skies. This sport glows brightly, and burns incomparibly beautiful images into our memories. That brightness comes at a very high cost. It's the lives of our friends, the blood and the bones of our sky family. That's the dark side, the Black Death.

There is no one without the other."

He also said, in that same post, "If I go in - flame away. Learn what you can, but most likely, it'll be because I made a few small mistakes and they cascaded into eternity. This sport can kill any of us without very much effort."

Truth. It's a lot to think about. Thank you.

I met Crash in Eloy at the holiday boogie in 2003. I got an ear infection towards the end of the boogie and couldn't jump, and he hung out with me. I've never been so cheered up while grounded on a DZ.

We kept in touch by email for a long while after I was back home in Africa. I remember exchanging the most unlikely emails with him. He told me about Toronto, working with his father, road trips (he loved morning coffee at Tim Horton's), moving to Deland (he wrote, "It is good to have lushous green of grass and tress leaves just sprouting in spring, as the dominant colour. My long lost green. Dirty, dusty brown, beige, blank and desolate landscape is not for me. It is good to be back in Florida, it still feels like home."), recovering from injury, rigging work.

I wrote to him from internet cafes in Kenya about interviewing herdsmen and analyzing gun trafficking routes. I wrote to him the day after tonto and I woke up at 5am to gunshots outside our flat, to tell him to enjoy life in a place where things were a little more peaceful.

He sent a tub of jalapeno jam all the way to South Africa in a care package. That and a Polar Bear in a can - I'll never forget the bear because it sat on top of tonto's computer for years in a place of honor.

We fell out of touch, but this reminds me how incredible our sport is in the way it connects us to people we would never otherwise meet. The friendships we form can be so unlikely and yet so fulfilling.

I haven't written or spoken to Crash in years but I am wrecked to hear that he's gone. I recently bought a new phone and noticed that his name transferred over to my contacts list, and thought "I wonder what Crash is up to now. I should email him". But I never got around to it. I feel his absence in my world. I will always remember him.

Quote

"Love can go anywhere; it can travel easily where no vehicle could ever go. Even a Land Rover."

Yes! That was MK. He was an amazing driver and not a bad philosopher to boot
I had been talking to MK about how tough it was to be gone from the man I loved for months at a time. I was doing fieldwork then, based in Ghana but mostly traveling in Sierra Leone and Liberia. At the end of one month in Sierra Leone I got a call from the cell phone company there informing me that I was their all-time highest-paying customer They wanted my address so they could send me a toaster or some other kitchen appliance as a loyalty award

I wish I could still pick up the phone somehow, but being reminded of what he said when he was still around really helps.

Hi all,

November 7th-13th at Skydive Elsinore we will be attempting a US National Wingsuit Formation Record, with proceeds and publicity benefiting City Year Los Angeles to help at-risk kids stay in school. We are aiming for a 100-way. The attempt will be judged by two USPA and/or FAI-rated judges according to the accepted USPA criteria used to judge multiple state wingsuit formation records since July.

Please come out and fly with us if you are qualified! All the information about the event is online here. Read the Frequently Asked Questions. This is the Skills Checklist.

There's a Wingsuit Bigway newsletter that goes out once or twice a month. Sign up on the right hand side of this page

Contact any of the 8 organizers and plane captains directly too if you want:

Scott Callantine (plane captain)
Mark Harris (organizer, plane captain, video)
Jeff Nebelkopf (organizer)
Ed Pawlowski (plane captain)
Phil Peggs (organizer)
Justin Shorb (plane captain)
Duncan Wright (plane captain)
Taya Weiss (organizer)

In summary:

November 7th-13th
Skydive Elsinore
US National Wingsuit Formation Record
Help kids stay in school with City Year
Preferred hotel: Lake Elsinore Casino, double rooms at $40/night plus tax (book under "Wingsuit Bigway")
Cost: $750 including 22 jumps, breakfast every day on the DZ, two dinners, long-sleeve T-shirt, etc. $100 of this is tax-deductible in the USA because it's going to charity.
Registration is all online at Raise the Sky.
Registration is well underway and will close on October 21st for logistical reasons: sorting out everyone's jump account, etc. So please register as soon as possible.

It's going to be awesome, historic, amazing, and for a good cause. I hope to see you all there!

Oh yeah - and there will be a spectator area set up for non-jumping friends and the media. Wednesday, November 11th is Veteran's Day, so feel free to invite anyone to come out, watch, and enjoy.

Blue skies, -T

Okay, you got me to blush and tear up at the same time. Sheesh.

When he was still with us I felt like I could do anything for and with him, and now that he's gone I'm constantly reminding myself how much strength there is in having been loved like that.

Thanks for sharing

Hi everyone,
It's been almost two years since my life partner and fiance, Eric "tonto" Stephenson, passed away at the Johannesburg Skydiving Club on a swoop landing. I know how much he loved DZ.com and how much he participated as a moderator in these forums, and I'd really love to hear from some of you who knew him here!

Last year I started the annual tonto boogie at JSC, our home DZ. It was an awesome weekend with lots of jumps and we also raised money for the Silindile Trust, a charity that he and I started together and that many of you contributed generously to.

This year we're doing it again, hosted by Raise the Sky, a new non-profit organization that grew out of his memory (www.raisethesky.org). We're designing the boogie T-shirts right now, with proceeds from sales to go to St. Vincent's School for the Deaf to help orphaned and impoverished deaf children in South Africa get the education they need. Here's where you come in.

Last year the tagline for the boogie was "Faith is the daring of the soul to go further than it can see". This year I'd love to have it be something different, something he said or wrote. So if you can find your favorite quote that he dispensed in a PM or on these forums and that would be good for a T-shirt, please post it. Or if you have another idea, post away. If we use your quote I'll send you a T-shirt in the size of your choice
And if you want to find out more about the boogie, visit www.raisethesky.org/tonto. I'll keep the page updated in the coming weeks.

Thanks for remembering with me and with everyone who knew and loved him.

Blue skies, -T

Thank you and congratulations to everyone involved in setting the Massachusetts state wingsuit record this past weekend. The record holders are (in order of the diamond as it would be viewed from above, top to bottom, left to right):

Justin Shorb (base)
Steve Harrington
Sean "Monkey" Horton
Paul Cain
Purple Mike
Elana Cain
Taya
Chris Gray
Scott Callentine
Rick Hough
Greg Drogaline
Simon Repton
Lurch
Scott Gray
Michal
Brian Barnhart
Andreea Olea
Jason Carter
Joe Rodriguez
Ralph Armstrong
Dan Mayer
Reed Searle
Ariel McManus
Dave Gerstein
Justin Pabis

You all flew like rock stars in the extreme heat and humidity we had on Saturday. I am very proud of what we accomplished in one day of attempts: 3 formation loads with an Otter and a Casa. FAI judge Marylou Laughlin and National judge James Rees were also highly impressed, as evidenced by their signatures on the certification form I am about to send to USPA HQ.

Photo by Jeff Nebelkopf, taken backflying under the formation.

Blue Skies, -T

Here you go for now... check out

www.raisethesky.org

Thanks to everyone who came out and flew with us this week!

Blue skies, -T

1. Purple Mike
2. Michal M
3. Obama
4. J-Sho
5. Andreea
6. Dan M -- no handlebars
7. Stu
8. Scott Gray
9. Chris Gray
10. MonkeyBoy
11. Taya

Hi,
Yep, as Callantine said - there is no duration requirement for other records. We are in line with other disciplines, in every aspect of this judging system.

Congratulations!

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So right now we cannot get records with any aerobatics or 3d formations. For aerobatics - we need to look at freestyle and artistic freefly in order to come up with some moves or criteria for those to be judged on too.

Aerobatics are more conducive to competition than records. For what it's worth, I put in a preliminary presentation to include an artistic wingsuiting competition at Nationals by adding it to Section 6 of the SCM. The Competition Committee was interested, but were not able to take it further at this Board meeting (not enough time!). To move forward with this idea, we should hold smaller competitions around the country and collect video illustrating wingsuit aerobatic dive flows. We would ideally be able to show that we have at least four qualified teams per category (i.e. intermediate and open) as required for other disciplines.

Regarding other observations on large wingsuit formation judging:

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I've never been a fan of the spacing used at the record.. and unless you scale the grid down a tight formation will not be judged as successful..

The currently accepted USPA grid is scalable. It doesn't have to conform to any particular spacing as long as everyone is relatively in their slot.

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What will happen then if this go into effect and we want to judging criteria to be different/better than the current method

The proposal I put online is already in effect as of last Sunday, but I'm sure amendments based on strongly presented cases will be welcome. Having something to improve upon is a good thing, as illustrated by all the strong thinking here. Attempting large formations, safely, is one important way to see how they work, and how the judging works. I would suggest getting out there and trying this grid - and other configurations.

Wingsuit Sequential hasn't yet been added as a record category - let's do it! Want to include 3D? Organize events and put together a proposal! If anyone wants to do this and wants to chat about my experience with the Competition Committee and Board, please PM me and I'd be happy to talk and help as much as possible.

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if was classified as a 'good' formation based upon the new criteria, I'd strongly be against this judging.

Judging standards aren't there to classify formations as "good" or not. They are there to provide a clear minimum standard for setting official records, which in turn allows greater opportunities for our discipline - for sponsorship, competition, cooperation, and event organizing.

Use this standard to get out there and prove that we can make perfect-looking formations that can be ratified by impartial judges. Set ridiculously great state records. Like downsizing canopies - if you think this standard is a slow bus, then wring it out and show we're ready for the next step. THEN, propose the next step in detail and take it, with your evidence, to the USPA.

This sport is always a work in progress. Evolution is what makes it so great. Waiting for perfection means waiting forever, but nothing is written in stone.

I'm happy to see all the constructive feedback and thinking. I hope some of it gets channeled into even more innovation.

Happy flying!
-T

1. Tero Paukku
2. Kyle O
3. Purple Mike
4. Juho Korjus
5. Marko Mäkelä
6. Scott Gray
7. Brian Barnhart
8. Elena Caine
9. Paul Caine
10. Taya Weiss
11. Justin Shorb
12. Jeff Nebelkopf
13. Mark Harris
14. Phil Peggs

Spot, (and everyone who said nice things here)
Flock safe, train hard, have fun, set records! -T

Here are two pictures of the 71-way: one without the grid and then the same picture with the USPA grid overlaid, as requested.

The USPA should be making the .psd grid file available for download on their website soon. If anyone wants to submit a record claim before that happens, PM me and I'll try to help.

I'm really looking forward to the future of wingsuit formation flying now that we have a clear and nationally recognized judging standard in the US. At Summerfest in Chicago, July 27-29, we will be attempting a state record. See you out there!

Thanks, -T

USPA Presentation by Taya Weiss

Working on the photo, Brian.

Overall, I just want to say that I'm really grateful for the support in this thread. It's nice to see people enthusiastic about setting records. I'm also deeply thankful to USPA and especially the Competition Committee for the recognition of our discipline.

I'm working on getting the grid overlay file available for download online - that way everyone will be able to "test drive" it.

Thanks, -T

In consultation with the USPA Competition Committee in Dallas this past weekend, I wrote the language that will go into the next Skydiver's Competition Manual (SCM). The USPA grid was designed by Jeff Nebelkopf with extensive R&D, including through the 71-way at Skydive Elsinore.

The USPA grid is different from the one originally envisioned as the judging standard at Elsinore:

1. Rather than a checkerboard of squares, this one turns the squares on their corner (to resemble diamonds) which are a better "fit" for the shape of a wingsuit flyer. This is the correct directional quality to the grid. (I promise I'm working on getting my presentation online - this is easier to present visually, I know.)

2. The diamond sides overlap by 13.5%, creating an additional accepted flying area for each participant (specifically, 32.45% more accepted flying area than if there was no overlap).

This last was extremely important because with large formations in any discipline, there is significant movement and asymmetry. Without grips, we were originally holding ourselves to a standard that far exceeded what is accepted for other disciplines. In large RW formations, when all grips are taken, the formation is usually asymmetrical and "messy" to some degree. The overlap in this grid allows for a similar margin of asymmetry.

The Competition Committee consists of the following people:

Bill Wenger (chair)
Larry Hill
Kirk Verner
B.J. Worth
Marylou Laughlin
Lee Schlichtemeier
Scott Smith
Vic Johnson

The committee evaluated my proposal over several days and presented a motion to the full Board, which unanimously voted to include this particular grid standard. Amendments to the SCM are always possible.

In response to this:

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Will these standards ever be able to be upheld?

The 71-way meets the current USPA criteria. From now on, USPA judges will decide whether a formation was successful or not. A minimum of four people is required to submit a state record claim.

-T

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So will it work retro-actively? Does last year's 71-way qualify?

I'm working on that, but I don't have details about the technicalities of grandfathering right now. I will definitely keep you all posted.

Oh, and Matt - sorry, but the minimum is a 4-way if you read the rules

UPDATE: Thought I'd report in from the USPA Dallas Board meeting.

The Safety and Training Committee, after hearing a presentation and Q&A from me on Friday and from DSE yesterday (Subject: Wingsuit Safety & Training discussion + Instructor Rating Proposal), presented a motion to the full board.

The motion was to place the "best practices" first flight course syllabus put forward at this meeting onto the USPA website for public viewing and feedback prior to the next Board meeting in the winter. The GOAL is to include a collaboratively edited version of a First Flight Course syllabus in THE NEXT SIM (Skydiver's Information Manual) section 6-9, WINGSUIT RECOMMENDATIONS.

Since the current recommendations are under 2 pages long and were adopted in 2002, it's a good time for an update. It's also an open process where written feedback will be accepted from anyone who wants to make constructive and specific comments between now and January 2010. It also keeps everything in the realm of recommendations and education/information.

There was no motion for the creation of a new rating or changes to the USPA Instructional Rating Manual (IRM).

Those are the facts as they stand.

Thanks, -T

Today at the USPA board meeting in Dallas, Texas, the Competition Committee put a motion to the full board to recognize "Wingsuit Largest Formation" as a state and national record category. The full board just unanimously voted YES on this motion.

What does this mean?

1. We can submit state and national record claims in the United States for largest wingsuit formation as of today.

2. We have an officially recognized judging standard for wingsuit formation skydiving in the United States

3. At the next IPC meeting (January 2010), the USPA delegate will inform the IPC that the USPA is now recognizing this category of record, and place it on the agenda for the FOLLOWING YEAR (2011) for international acceptance.

4. On May 1, 2010 the next printed version of the USPA Skydiver's Competition Manual will come out. It will contain the new wingsuit largest formation category and standards.

5. The accepted materials and grid will be made publicly available through USPA, in some form, asap.

I'm at the airport right now, on my way home after a long weekend of amazing opportunities at the Board meeting in Dallas. Tomorrow I will post even more information. For now, here is the language I submitted that was accepted:

Proposed amendment to Section 12 of the Skydiver’s Competition Manual
11 July 2009
Taya Weiss
USPA Board Meeting, Dallas

12-3.2 General

E. Records are categorized as follows:

Add:

21. Wingsuit formation skydiving, largest formation

a. Definition: A minimum of 4 Wingsuit fliers in proximate formation, without grips
b. Completion is judged using a scalable grid of adjacent red and black diamonds. Each diamond has four 90-degree angles. Diamond sides overlap by 13.5% to allow each participant an additional margin of acceptable flying area. The grid is overlaid digitally on a still photograph of the formation to determine relativity of all fliers and completion of the formation
c. Judges will place the grid over the formation in a way that attempts to fit all participants within their grid space (“best fit” method)
d. The “best fit” indicates that if there is a way all participants can fit within their grid spaces, the grid will be placed in that orientation.
e. To be judged successfully within their grid space, some part of the Wingsuit flier must be visible inside a line delineating their space
f. The grid line is “out of bounds”


12-3.3 Procedures

Add:

D. Winguit formation claims shall submit for judging, in addition to the above:

a. A diagram showing the intended formation
b. One still photograph of the completed formation with all fliers visible
c. One video perspective of the jump from exit to breakoff to show continuity
d. The grid will be available to download from the USPA website


And may I add, WOOOO HOOOOOO!!!!! -T

Today is Eric's (tonto's) birthday, so it seems like a good time for an update. I know it's been a while, but for those who haven't forgotten
Aon has continued to sponsor her school fees and pay for uniforms, stationery, etc. With the current economic climate, we're cautiously trying to tuck away a little extra cushion just in case. There are also other elements of providing support that fall outside of Aon's contributions, which are shored up by the generosity of all who gave to the Trust in Eric's memory.

Since the family has no private health insurance, we need to be prepared in case of any medical or health issues that might arise. In the longer term, we would like to be able to help Silindi go to university or get vocational training after secondary school, which is when Aon's support ends.

In a more immediate sense, the next big step is trying to help Silindile's mother to find a better home so they can eventually move out of the shack where they live. I sometimes fear for the safety of Silindi and her brother in the environment of the squatter camp. Fire is a perpetual hazard, and there is little or no privacy. For a while last year Thandi, her mother, moved into a shelter, and she has been very proactive about contributing as much as she can, but that was only a temporary solution.

The great news though, is that this resilient, beautiful little girl continues to grow and thrive, in a story that really defies all the odds of the circumstances she was born into. I am proud and happy and continue to be moved by the way people in the skydiving community mobilized to build the foundation for something we cared/care deeply about. Thank you, again.

And happy birthday, t

Today is Eric's birthday. It's the second year I've celebrated his birthday without him. Some things get better with time and other feelings still sting just as much. I miss him a lot, and that hasn't changed. I don't think it ever will. Today I am managing to feel grateful for the time I had, and for the love of someone who was not just a partner but also my best friend.

He was his own man. He was a good man. Happy birthday, t.

Love, -T

PS Here is Silindi, growing up - in her new school uniform! I know he would have loved to see this.