i96: December 2017

Cover Photo | Guru Khalsa

Featured Photo | Ismael Iribar

Santa and his elf (aka Art Shaffer and Jennifer Quigley) land at Skydive Palatka in Florida.

The FlyBy

• Take It DZ | Nadene Beyerbach, Adventure Creative
• Reader question: What should Santa bring you?
• Industry Beat: S-Fly Equipment Ends, ICARUS World, LLC Begins, DZ Marketing Conference
• France Dominates Indoors
• Flying Falling Down (an Ohio summer skydive) | By Skip Leeds

MoAB: ELE Edition | By Jacquelyn Garcia

Micah’s motto was “ELE: everybody love everybody,” an axiom that lived at the core of his every day. In his honor, this year’s Mother of All Boogies was dubbed “The Moab Boogie: ELE edition.”

Bridge Day: A Photo Essay | By David Cherry

Body Flight, the Next Generation | By Andrew Kennett

I am the proud father of one of the next-generation fliers that hopes to participate on the world stage, perhaps even the Olympics. In two years, what Sydney has been able to attain as a flier is what I couldn’t touch as a skydiver with almost a dozen years of experience.

Teaching the Next Generation of Tunnel Flyers | By Cat Adam, iFLY Seattle

Through my career as a trainer and instructor at iFLY Seattle, I have had the opportunity to help build our Flight School program and introduce countless young people to tunnel flying. Participants ages 4 to 16 come train with our instructors weekly, and I’m constantly amazed at both how well they take to the sport, and how quickly they excel.

Centerfold | By Jessica Brownlow

A 107-way on the first day of the California head-down record attempts.

The Nylon Ninjas A Peek inside the Performance Designs R&D Department | By Hollie-Blue Allum, Performance Designs

Over the following months we’ll give you a closer look into the R&D department by interviewing different people, digging into the history and uncovering some of the magic. First up: Gilles Dutrisac, R&D team lead.

The Nylon Ninjas: Gilles Dutrisac

2017 TSK/Fly Easy Boogie: “Friends don’t let friends miss TSK!” | By Lisa Bresson (TSK#69.69a), Jen Booton (TSK#315) and Kasey Ramoth (TSK#163)

In true TSK/Fly Easy fashion, there are tricks up a few sleeves for 2018. With this crew, you never know. There are also probably tricks shoved up pant legs and stashed inside bras along with sweaty cash and vitamin supplements.

A Skydiver’s Guide to Buying Health Insurance | James La Barrie {Dropzone Marketing}

I hope to simplify the process with an overview to help you get insurance for the 2018 skydiving season.

+Turning Points+ 4-way Juniors, Part 4: Revolution | Kurt Gaebel, NSL

The kids are not only “kicking ass in the tunnel” in all the artistic events—I have pointed out 4-way juniors for a long time, first in 2007 when SkyVenture Colorado had created the first 4-way junior team. Yes, that was a decade ago!

Idiots Aloft | The Fuckin’ Pilot

I was yelling through the radio to nothing but static—as the pilot of the other plane was clearly not on the frequency they were supposed to be on—and trying not to lose my shit, but from my vantage point about 3,000 feet above it all in a steep dive, I could see quite clearly that this aircraft was literally flying right through all the canopies!

Bend Below the Hat Brim | Melanie Curtis

Finally at row 11, the guy takes his backpack off and BAM, in my face, a logo that says something about freefall. So now, I’m like, no matter who this person is, I’m saying hi. He sits down and his hat brim is still blocking his face! I’m not joking you, it was like one of those scenes in a movie where they have deliberately blocked shots to build anticipation. Hahaha who needs to be worried about Big Brother cameras everywhere when you have people like me behind you on the jetway.

An Early Morning Visit from St. SkyGod | SkyGod

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