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First FLCPA meet of the year: records and injuries

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This past weekend saw FLCPA season’s first meet of the FLCPA at Skydive City, with near record participation. A total of 48 competitors with a healthy mix of pros and amateurs came to compete on a cold weekend in Florida (no, not Canada cold, just cold by Florida standards).

Brian McNenney of Slipstream Airsports took home Gold overall, Albert Berchtold came in second and Jerry Hannon third.
2 new state records were set: Golden Knight Greg Windmiller set a new Florida State speed record (2.476 seconds) and Paul Rodriguez of Southern California laid down 95.36 meters during the second round of distance.

A couple of competitors needed to visit nearby medical institutions after swoops gone wrong during their respective runs.
Jeannie Anderson (amateur class) hit the pond hard in practice and was transported to the hospital. Injuries turned out to be minor and she was released to go home and recover a couple of days later.  During one of Kelsey Mizeur’s (pro class) competition runs, an A-B line broke during the turn.  Kelsey hit hard and had a surgery to repair L2 as a result.  Those two incidents remind us that competitive canopy piloting is serious business and should be treated as such. The demands on both pilots and gear are higher than during a normal skydive – especially for those using CP specific gear (such as an RDS or thinner than stock lines). We wish both competitors a full and speedy recovery!

Complete results and a brief writeup can be found on the Swoopleague.com website.

BASE jumper injured at Bobby’s Rock on Camelback Mountain, AZ

A 24-year old jumper sustained significant injuries from a cliff strike following a BASE jump off Bobby’s Rock on Camelback Mountain, in Phoenix, AZ.  The jumper had to be rescued from a ledge and then transported to a hospital. From what we hear, the jumper stands to recover well.

News report (including a video from another BASE jump at Bobby’s rock) can be found here.

Bobby’s Rock is legal to jump, as long as jumpers stick to designated trails in the area. It is however not a place for beginners. A local jumper estimated the jump from exit point to be 240 feet to impact, with the landing area located another 120 ft below that.

Photographer Niklas Daniel from AXIS Flight School has an entry on Bobby’s Rock on his blog, complete with a great photo slide show.

 

Search called off for missing skydiver Kurt Ruppert, Jr.

After 4 days of searching difficult terrain around Mt. Si, WA for missing skydiver Kurt Ruppert, Jr, King County Sheriff’s Office has called the search off.  Search was conducted both from ground and air, with hundreds of volunteers from various volunteer rescue groups in addition to the Sheriff’s Office searching extremely difficult terrain. Weather forecast at Mt. Si remains cold, visibility low and new snow at higher elevations.

News report from KOMOnews.com can be found here.

We send our sincerest sympathies to all of Kurt’s family and friends.