Island Hopping

Jumping over the stunning East Frisian Islands of Germany…

Organizer Angelo Declerck likes to describe this unique event as “the Maldives for the poor!”

We’ve never actually been to the Maldives so we can’t really compare, but the East Frisian islands are certainly special! Most people’s reaction when we say we’re going to jump over the islands of Germany is, “Germany has islands?!” Germans know this of course and they flock there from the mainland every summer, but there are few international tourists. It’s like a well-kept secret… and we can see why…

Every year for a long time now, Heino and Grit from Fallschirmsport Damme in Germany have organised a boogie based on the island of Norderney. This was the second summer that Angelo’s School of Bigway was invited to bring fixed groups of bigway jumpers along. The boogie is small with many of the same skydivers returning every year, so the atmosphere on the dropzone is very relaxed and friendly.  We arrived as a group of 32 skydivers from various countries including Ireland, Belgium, France, Greece and Slovakia. We were made to feel very welcome! 

On day one we split into our groups; a 16way organised by Angelo and a 14way organised by Ils Van den Weygaert. The plan was to go island hopping (depending on the weather). Luckily for us we had blue skies and sunshine! We were advised to bring our mobile phones and some money in our jumpsuits or weight belts. Some of the group had jumped above the islands before but for others it was the first time.

The atmosphere in the plane was magical as people gazed out of the Caravan windows at the breathtaking views, quickly grabbing their phones to take photos and videos. Those views never get boring! Building a 16way out of a Caravan can be challenging and we all normally prefer using a Skyvan, but on this event being in the Caravan added so much to the experience for the visuals.

For five days straight we had beautiful weather, except for one cloudy morning, which actually gave us all a welcome break! We made 22 bigway jumps onto the islands of Juist, Borkum and Norderney, one of which was onto a huge, sandy beach. We also jumped onto the mainland so that the plane could refuel while we had tea and cake at the restaurant.

Moments like these are what made the event so memorable and like no other. The jumps were great; we made many completions and multiple points, but it wasn’t just about the skydives. Inbetween loads we enjoyed lunches at the Nepalese restaurant on Juist island, ice cream and drinks on Borkum island, and various cakes with tea and coffee. This created a lovely, relaxed holiday vibe and gave us all the chance to get to know each other better. 

After jumping we often ate together at Dune 13, a local restaurant which doesn’t normally stay open in the evenings, but they made an exception for a group of hungry skydivers! I honestly can’t remember how many different types of fish we ate that week! One evening at the dropzone we were treated to a delicious local delicacy; “matjes” (fresh, young herring) served with potatoes and vegetables. This was prepared for us by the father of Marcella, who runs the local campsite where most of us slept. Marcella was always up early preparing breakfast sandwiches and snacks for everyone at the dropzone. 

There’s also plenty to do on Norderney when not jumping, such as cycling, walking, horse-riding, and relaxing on one of the many beaches. Angelo and I stayed a few extra days after the event and enjoyed an afternoon in the Badehaus, which has an impressive number of natural salt baths, pools and saunas – perfect for a bad weather day; not that we had one! 

We’ve come home a few kilos heavier, that’s for sure! And with many wonderful memories and beautiful photos/videos. Big thanks to the cameraflyers Dave Clarke and  Maverick Verdegem. This event has quickly become one of the highlights of our year. Someone from the group described it as ‘the best jumps of my life.’ Thank you to Fallschirmsport Damme, all the dropzone staff and the pilots. 

We can’t wait to come back again next year! Norderney boogie will run from 10-20 July 2025. Angelo will be organising fixed groups there for 5 days between 13-17 July 2025. These dates could change slightly but you can keep an eye on updates by joining Angelo’s School of Bigway on Facebook