Some of the younger pups out there might never even have heard of a 10-way speed, but here it is in all it’s glory, as captured by videographer Nik Daniel in Elsinore last Saturday, January 29th, 2010.

It’s a fun event, but can get a little combative, with 10 people squeezing on the proper side of that black line you can see taped on the floor.  Back in the day I did a few 10-way jumps under the “guidance” of the legendary Carl Daugherthy. I’ll admit that I was a little intimidated when during the dirt dive he handed out elbow and knee pads – that came in handy on exit.   I didn’t last but a couple of Saturdays, before I retreated back to the relative safety of newbie freeflying, where a light kick in the head seemed like a piece of cake in comparison.

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To all of our subscribers, advertisers, contributors, website readers, printers, Twitter and Facebook followers, friends and family – thank you for an absolutely amazing year.

2009 saw Skydiving Magazine shut its doors after 30 years of trusty service to the skydiving community and a few months later, the birth of Blue Skies Magazine.  We are grateful for all the support we have received in the past few months and look forward to continue to put out the most kick-ass magazine we can.

Here is to a very happy 2010, beginning with only the mildest of hangovers.  Now lets go get this party started!

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If you happen to be a straight shooter with upper management written all over you, take note.  The PD Factory Team (aka Flight-1) is looking for a person of the organized variety to become their General Manager of Operations.   We don’t know exactly what that means, but it sounds fancy.

If you’d like more information about the position, check out their website.  On there is a link to their Facebook feed that you must click on, so we are guessing that fluidity in Facebook speak is a must.

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Jay celebrates with team mates Ian, Shannon and Jessica

From the PD Blog:

Posted with permission from Performance Designs, Inc.
Photo courtesy of Performance Designs, Inc.

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After a bit of a rough start with challenging conditions and a series of serious injuries, it seems that the World Cup of Canopy Piloting at Johannesburg Skydiving Club is finally on a good roll.

British competitor Alastair Macartney commented in his Facebook status update this morning that Brian Vacher (UK competitor and a member of the PD Factory Team) had just set a National Distance Record – and then as a side note mentioned that Jay Moledzki (Canadian competitor and also a well known member of the PD Factory Team) had gone on to set a new Distance World Record – 175.92 meters (still unofficial, pending FAI approval).
There are still plenty of competition rounds left to go so we might still see some exciting news from JSC.
For those of you that don’t care too much about Canopy Piloting, competition or world records – but do enjoy mischief and prankstery (yup, new word, I just invented it), we got something good coming.  Just waiting on Prankster in Chief to find himself a good solid internet connection to transmit the pixels our way – stay tuned!

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Have you been itching to turn your most favorite hobby ever into your job?? Now is your chance. ICARUS Canopies is looking for a U.S.-based sales rep.

Here are the details:

ICARUS Canopies is looking for an outgoing sales representative that believes in a quality product and a fabulous brand! Must excel in customer relations, be self motivated and goal oriented. Will work closely with Head Quarters, dealer network and sponsored athletes. May travel to boogies, events and symposiums to represent the brand as well. Relocation to North Carolina would be necessary. If interested please contact Lauren Demme with cover letter, resume and any questions.

Now go live that dream!

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Right now some of the top canopy pilots in the world are either making their way to or have already arrived at the Johannesburg Skydiving Club (JSC) in South Africa.  66 competitors from 16 countries will be competing for medals in 3 events; Speed, Accuracy and Distance.   The overall winner of the 3 disciplines combined will be crowned the World Cup Champion.
Including judges and support staff, 23 countries are represented in South Africa.

The dropzone is situated at 5000 feet above sea level and that altitude those teeny little parachutes move pretty fast (especially with some of the big boys dangling under them).  We spoke to some of the American competitors before heading out and they seem to think we can expect new World Records at the event, as long as the weather cooperates.

US Team Manager Albert Berchtold commented that “the course is super fast and conditions today and yesterday were very challenging.  Quartering tail wind pushing you downwind through the speed course.  If the conditions are like this during the meet, it won’t be  “if” the speed record gets broken, but it will be how many times.  Going fast isn’t the problem, its keeping your ass in the course”.

Speaking of weather, during this past week of practice wind and rain has hampered training a little.  Competitors are getting up well before the chickens to get to the DZ early, in order to get in a few jumps before the winds kick up, which has been around 10 AM.
A person who would rather remain nameless pointed out that these conditions suit the Australian delegation perfectly, as they provide for extended hours at the bar.  That is definitely something the Aussies are better prepared to handle than any of the other nations attending, so should those conditions prevail we can expect to see some green and gold on the podium.

Competition is set to start on December 2nd and run through the 6th. We will do our best to bring you update and news from the event as it progresses.

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