When I first saw the poster for UPT Flight Camp at Skydive Sebastian in March 2012, I instantly wrote to Anna Moxnes, who organizes a lot of skydiving events in Europe, and asked, “I was thinking maybe you and I could team up and do some sort of Flight Camp in Eloy next year?”
Even though I’ve lived right next to Skydive Arizona for over five years, I’m not a full-time skydiver. I figured since I couldn’t afford to travel across the country for an angle-flying camp, why not organize one at my home DZ? Anna’s response was, “Totally in 100 percent!”
Second Edition
So the 2013 UPT Flight Camp, Desert Edition, was born. The idea behind the camp was to have as many as ten coaches, each with groups of eight or ten jumpers ranging from beginner angle flyers to full-on sky ninjas. The event was amazing and a huge learning experience for me as an event organizer. This year, we decided to take what we had learned and make the second version even better than the first.
Boom!
We set the dates for UPT Flight Camp, Desert Edition Part II, at Skydive Arizona, 4-8 March, 2014. We enlisted some of the world’s best coaches: Mikey Carpenter, Amy Chmelecki, Derek Cox, Paul Ferriman, Petter Jönsson, Domitille Kiger, Martin Kristensen, Andy Malchiodi, Anna Moxnes, Luis Prinetto, Jeff Provenzano and David Reader. About 80 participants came from all over Europe, Australia and the U.S. The participants were divided into groups of similar skills, making six jumps with a different coach each day.
Huck Jams
In the evenings, everyone headed to the Skyventure Arizona wind tunnel on the drop zone for themed huck jams organized by the coaches, such as basic or advanced dynamic 4-way, head-up and pylons. Over the five days of the event, participants and coaches made more than 2,250 jumps with no injuries, flew seven hours in the tunnel and won awesome prizes.
Sexy Vector Fashion Show
To take a break from all the flying, everyone gathered on the third night at the DZ’s Bent Prop Saloon for a Sexy Vector Fashion Show and a Talent OR Show with emcee Mikey Carpenter. It was a tight race between Dimitri Didenko and Benjamin Lecland for the Sexiest Vector, but based on audience applause, Benjamin took the prize with his “Vector Seduction” skit. For the Talent OR Show, participants had a chance to win 50 percent off a Vector with either a talent act or some kind of skit. After seeing some unspeakable things done with cinnamon, milk and an imaginary pool table, the prize went to Nina Forsberg for her Tenacious D spoof.
Safety Dance
The last day of UPT Flight Camp fell on USPA Safety Day, so Saturday night’s party had a “Safety Dance” theme with DJ Moo. Petter Stensvold and Vicky Lefrancois each earned certificates for 30 percent off a Vector after the coaches voted them “Most Improved Players,” and Jarle Hus won a raffle paying him back all his jumps for the week ($750).
Wrecking Ball video Boogie Shenanigans UPT camp
Boogieman Shenanigans
Boogieman jumpsuit rep and camp participant Kim van der Horst also held a Boogieman Shenanigans contest. Throughout the week, participants posted photos and videos on Facebook of jumps or other antics from the camp. At the end of the week, the one with the most “likes” won a free custom jumpsuit. The winner was Vince Arnone with his video “Wrecking Ball” – which has more than 5,000 views!
Thanks to the epic support of United Parachute Technologies, Skydive Arizona’s world-class facilities and staff, the rock star coaches, and the amazing and wonderful personalities of the participants, the event was a huge success. I was even organized enough to have time to join the camp and make some jumps as a student!
UPT Flight Camp BOOGIE VIDEO – Lots of dynamic movement freefly dives over Skydive Arizona
