New SANS records set during National Skydiving and National Nude Days!
A large group of skydivers gathered at Skydive Chicago (Ottowa, Illinois, USA) in the days leading up to National Skydiving Day (13 July ‘24) and National Nude Day (14 July ‘24). Their goal: to set a new naked formation skydiving world record for the Society for the Advancement of Naked Skydiving (SANS).
Months in advance, over 40 individuals registered for the event. Over 25% were women – notable in this male-dominated sport as the overall percentage of women that make up skydiving in the United States is estimated to be only 14%.
SANS Team
Leading the third annual SANS event, Amber Taylor and Justin Shafer already had a plan in motion, building upon their experience from the two previous world record events. Jeff Sans, Brett Mickelson, Blair & Julie Anessi, Ehrin Huhn and Mike Heil provided additional support assisting with dropzone communications, providing supplies, and advertising online.
So, what was the standing SANS world record? Set in Sebastian, Florida in February 2023, the SANS world record stood strong for 15 months with an impressive 26-way Texas star formation.
Practice
The first two days of the event (July 11-12) were designated practice days. Jumpers wore minimal clothing such as swimsuits, sports bras, shorty shorts, boxer briefs and banana hammocks. Smaller groups of 10-ways were arranged to allow jumpers to adjust to the unique challenges of skydiving without a jumpsuit. Some found it a bit more difficult to approach the formation with little to no drag. But, after several jumps, with increased confidence and safe flying evident, organizers happily added to the formation size and progress continued…
Record 28-way!
On Saturday July 13, 2024, the first jump of the day and ultimately the first official record attempt resulted in a 28-way after exiting at 14,000 feet from a Skyvan (lead plane) and an Otter (trail plane.) Videographer, Justin Howard, captured all the happenings from above. Though he was not naked, he briefly considered removing his pants for a jump or two. Maybe next time.
Record 32-way!
Taylor and Shafer, blown away by this accomplishment on the first jump, made a few slot adjustments, performed a second jump and added more naked bodies to the following dirtdives. On the fourth and final jump of the day the group set a second world record: a 32-way! With the evening hours approaching, strong winds and cloudy skies swept in from the northwest and halted operations. Two new world records achieved on National Skydiving Day. What would National Nude Day have in store for the group?
SANS Flag Demo
After a night of celebration, Sunday morning brought clear skies with promises of thunderstorms that quickly rolled in on the DZ. The storm brought with it significantly cooler air temperatures and jumpers spent their time in hoodies and sweatshirts socializing while monitoring the radar. It was after noon when the skies finally cleared and planes were pulled from the cover of the hangars. The sun eventually peaked through the clouds and warmed the DZ back to nude-comfortable temperatures. Planes were boarded and taxied to the tarmac for take-off with all participants. Two final jumps and a SANS flag demo closed out the event.
The four days spent with fellow SANS members were enjoyable for everyone. With a world record achieved (two for most jumpers), participants additionally celebrated individual milestones; first Skyvan exit, first naked jump, a 500th jump, and several others.
What is SANS?
SANS – the Society for the Advancement of Naked Skydiving – was founded by and is currently managed by Jeff Sans. SANS promotes and recognizes naked skydiving throughout the skydiving community across the globe. The French word “sans” means “without,” and in this specific case it refers to being without clothing. Anyone who has successfully performed a naked skydive can become a SANS member. The rules are simple: for a jump to be an official SANS jump, one must be nude from neck-to-knees and wrist-to-wrist, with the exception of essential skydiving equipment such as a rig, altimeter, helmet, socks, and shoes. SANS jumps are not necessarily slot-specific. However, for the world record attempts the organizers put heavy focus on performing formations in the intended slot, for safety reasons. The amount of organization, dedication and professionalism displayed by the group was complimented on by the dropzone staff and other fun jumpers. A considerable thank you goes out to Skydive Chicago and their amazing staff for accommodating the event and for their welcoming environment.
Stay tuned to see what 2025 has in store for the SANS members!
