From the Dubai Parachuting Championships and Gulf Cup 2010, we got word that Jonathan Tagle has inched ahead of Marat Leiras to claim first place, with Jay Moledzki in third in canopy piloting!

In the 4-way competition, USA’s Arizona Airspeed beat out Belgium and France; the women’s results are France, Germany, Spain. And, in accuracy, it’s Christian Auswoeger, Quargaf El Hassane and Al–Suwaidi Matar.

Congrats to everyone! Full scores here.

From the PD Blog:

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

Giedrius “G” Kasiulynas was injured during a training jump at the World Cup in South Africa and is currently in critical condition. Although he is on staff at Skydive Midwest in Wisconsin, his family is in Lithuania, where he is originally from. They need to get to South Africa to make medical decisions about G’s life, so an account has been set up to help them make the trip.

Julie from Skydive Midwest sent us this information this morning:

The info for his sister; Inga’s PayPal account, for donations: gaizauskiene.inga@gmail.com

LT197044060003600396

Her other info:

Inga Gaizauskiene
AB SEB bankas
Gedimino pr. 12, LT-01103 Vilnius
SWIFT Kodos CBVILZX

It is not April 1, so don’t bother checking the calendar. Alti-2 has begun production on the N3 Audio (N3A), a new audible altimeter and electronic logbook…with a twist. Instead of speakers, the N3A has one mp3 player input and one headphone slot.

Music from your mp3 player can be played during your skydive, with interruptions from the N3A at your pre-set alarm times. At the first freefall alarm altitude, you will hear “Breakoff Breakoff”, then “Deploy Deploy” at the second alarm. OR…you can record and upload your own alarm .wav tones. (The third flatline alarm remains the same and is not changeable for safety reasons.) The N3A can also optionally be set to announce altitude at every thousand feet (twelve… eleven…ten…).

Canopy alarms sound the buildup tones like normal, but at the end of the buildup, a voice will say “Downwind” at the first alarm, “Base” and “Final” at the second and third alarms, respectively. Like the freefall alarms, you can record and upload your own canopy alarms.

An mp3 player is not required to function; those with frequency-specific hearing loss (common among people with repeated exposure to things like turbine engine noise) can use the N3A to play tones or voices at more audible frequencies.

We want to hear your best custom alarms! Submit them to shenanigans@blueskiesmag.com by January 15, 2010. Grand prize is one new N3 Audio, courtesy Alti-2.

Contest fine print:

• Audio file length: 3.5 seconds maximum
• Audio file format: .wav
• Alarm set: three (3) freefall alarms and three (3) canopy alarms. Final freefall alarm cannot be used in the N3A, but it is allowed and will be judged in this contest.
• Include your name, e-mail address and theme name.
• N3 Audio is not required to create pull tone alarms.
• All submitted audio files become the property of Blue Skies Mag and Alti-2, Inc. Files may be posted for public download on either or both company Web sites.
• All judging will be done by Blue Skies Magazine.
• Submissions will be accepted to shenanigans@blueskiesmag.com until midnight, Eastern Standard Time, on January 15, 2010.
• First prize is one (1) N3 Audio from Alti-2, Inc.

Two teams enter, one team leaves. Given the solid lineups of the Kaleidoscope dives, which predatory bird team will kick more ass and take more names?

Cheat sheet courtesy Kaleidoscope Web site:

Larry Henderson – Falcon Team Pål Bergan Kate Cooper-Jensen Tom Jenkins Victor Kravtsov Wladimir Abad Jim Alkek Gary Allman Dmitri Aristov Mike Arzillo Darby Avant Illya Balashov Andrey Barabash Mikhail Baranov Antoine Bich Richard Bisson Calvin Blacker Liam Brennan Dennis Brooks François Burgaud Marco Carrara Fred Clark Barbie Cleino Celso de Mello Rich Delgado Marty Diller Dmitry Dmitriev Bob Domeier Susan Duke Mikhail Dyagilev Chuck Finley Sally Finley Scott Franklin Louis French Mikhail Gerasimov Herbert Gölss Jim Graham Thi Bich Van Ha Johan Hansson Garth Harley Dave Harper Al Hively Gordon Hodgkinson Alex Huber Bob Johns Ilya Katz Katy Katz Dr. Dick Klimas Rouven Krafzyk Scott Kucel Pete Langehans Gilles Leboeuf Bill Legard Fred Leslie Kathy Leslie Paul Leslie-Smith Ernie Long Nathalie Métivier Jakob Mo Larry Moore Tim Morrison Denis Myachenkov Pierre Nadeau Mike Nestor Jeff Nicholson Corey Parker Carey Peck Jonathan Perl Sarge Preston Mario Prévost Tom Reiman Klaus Rheinwald Pam Riggs Jack Ronalter Veera Ronalter Dan Rosenthal Christian Roy Helaine Rumaner Jason Russell Claudio Serafini Vyacheslav Shalygin Ron Shipp Jimbob Slocum Angus Smith Phil Smith Les Stachyra Mark Tennison Val Thal-Slocum Klaus Unterhofer Dmitry Uspenskiy Shaun Vineyard John Walrond Steve Weiss Shawn White Michael Wolfe Joseph Wood Jørgen Wrang Dmitry Zhdanov

BJ Worth – Eagle Team Mike Johnston Patrick Passe Roger Ponce de Leon Lou Tommaso Solly Williams Alberto Alibrandi Nacho Alvarez Vidar Antonsen Becky Austin Jarle Bakk Theresa Baron Mary Bauer Alexander Beloglazov Denis Bérat Fiona Birnie Jose Brouwers Kate Burn Joshua Burril Neil Butcher Rambo Calledare Wesley Claessens Tom Clayes François Colombi Gugu Damasio Julien Darre Carl Daugherty Chris Davies Breno de Assis Yves de Burbure Jean-Marc Desfourneaux Mike Donlon Jack Donovan Burt Edwards Laura Escabedo Gérard Felin Dafi Filliposwki Dmitry Friedman Nick Furchner Sabine Gijzen Gulcin Gilbert Giggles Giuca Luis Herrera Celeste Hill T.J. Hine Lee Hunnicutt Maxim Iliev Pablo Iragorri Cabeca Januario Rod Johnson Steven Joyce Jaclyn Kaylor Kevin Keenan Marc Kelchtermans Barbara Kobzik-Juul Maxim Koryakin Brian Lippert Luc Maison Russ Manhold Oleg Martynovsky Mario Mauro Des Meyer Julien Meylan Koen Michiels Truett Miley Greg Mirkin Mike Oolman “Pelayo” Pelayo Lucas Peri Brusa Ricardo Pettena Raul Quiñones Julie Regnier Mark Rejhon Andy Reyling Bruce Robertson Fortson Rumble Maria Russell Isa Schoonbroodt Fabiana Serfaty Liz Settle Oleg Shapovalov Jean Simon Hal Spence Martin Steimle Bob Stumm Jeffrey Taffet Derek Thomas Kyle Thomas Bruce Travis Didier Valin Alain Vejux Alia Veselov Joe Weber Gary Willard Karen Wood Kelly Woods Mike Woods Patty Woods Bob Wright Mary Wright Janna Wynne Igor Yurash

West Virginian/jumper Marcus Ellison and Bridge Day BASE jumping coordinator Jason Bell gave us the locals’ scoop on just what there is to do in Fayetteville, WV—besides jumping off a huge-ass bridge. This, along with our Bridge Day ‘09 guide in the October issue of Blue Skies Mag, should keep you set for legal activities during your Bridge Day experience. As for the other kinds of activities…we actively discourage them. (But get pictures!)

View What to Do for Bridge Day in a larger map, including Google Street View of the bridge

Based on the great help we got from all the local businesses Marcus recommended in his piece, we have to believe Fayetteville is one of the coolest towns ever. We’d have liked to print more of the great pictures they sent, but there were just too many cool establishments to have room for them all!

P.S. The Mystery Hole is not the quietly-whispered-about strip club. They’re here.

Kolla had a job judging the Last Big Splash a few weeks ago, and I thought I’d go along to see some swoop carnage, test out our new FlipCam! and get some sun. It was a great weekend, apart from the sweltering heat and feeling slightly awkward at first—I used to judge Florida swoop meets as well, but having been out of the state for the last three years, I let myself out of the swoop-loop a bit. But, it turns out today’s swoopers are just as friendly, crass and awesome as they’ve always been

So, for your viewing entertainment, we bring you the first day of Last Big Splash. Let us know what you think (but be kind, it’s our first foray into video-land!) and enjoy!

We’ll also have several sweet photos from photographer Justin Carmody in the November issue of Blue Skies Mag, so keep your eye out for that—and stay tuned for Day Two of Last Big Splash…