World Records don’t normally come this easily…
On the heels of the three-point 108-way Full Break Sequential World Record set last year, there was a dream to create a two-point 150+ way Full Break Sequential.
Joey Marshall, Kelsey Marshall, Niklas Hemlin, Craig Girard, Eliana Rodriguez, Doug Barron, Milko Hodgkinson, Dieter Kirsch, Martial Ferre, and Pete Allum teamed up to try to make this a reality.
Our show date was November 3rd, but many folks arrived at Skydive Arizona a day or two earlier to check in, learn the airspace and landing patterns, and make some really fun skydives. I appreciated everyone that I got to skydive with early!
The record group all met in the main hangar on November 3rd to walk over to our staging location, the DC3 hangar. It was such an amazing experience to have all the participants from 27 countries, the organizers, and video staff walk over for the first time as a team. In addition to our organizational staff, on video were Mark “Trunk” Kirschenbaum, Alex Swindle, Ralph Wilhelm and Willy Boeykens.
Day 1 – Sunday 3 November
We got a very thorough briefing on the plan for the week, landing patterns inside and outside the “yellow box,” walked our practice skydives, and then, well, you know, waited on a weather day. Spirits were high and we waited for clouds to clear… but unfortunately, they didn’t.
Day 2 – Monday
What a day! The base got three great practice skydives in and was looking slick. Both the Airspeed and Power Games outside sectors made two excellent skydives including the sequential. We were READY!
We got to do two practice big ones as well out of a fleet of seven aircraft – three Skyvans and four Twin Otters. The first big one from 15.5k had some issues and the second big one from 16k was building well but we ran out of time to complete it.
Day 3 – Tuesday
The first skydive went very well from only 15.5k. We then took it up to 18k for the second skydive where the base was allowed to transition to the second point, but the outside people were asked to stay still in their slots. It was quite a nice jump and good practice for all!
We then went for the first two-point attempt for the third skydive, but only got 16k. Unknown to us, the key was pre-planned for a specific altitude, so when the key came to the second point before the first was complete, it was a bit of a surprise to some! This allowed for most of us to practice the transition for the first time as the entire group.
Day 4 – Wednesday
The first skydive unfortunately had some issues. The next skydive the first point was building very nicely, but unfortunately got keyed just before being completed. That being said, the entire group nearly completed the second point! The last skydive of the day was a 151-way which included the transition to the second point, but no-one could say how it truly went after we landed…
We all made our way back to the DC3 hangar, the organizers told us to enjoy the beer provided by the DZ, and then, well, we waited…
Over two hours later, Emily Bombardi, our National Judge, and Kelsey Marshall came on stage, and – after we finally got to see the video – they shared that Jim Rees and Rina Gallo (the FAI judges) concurred that WE GOT IT! 👊 The tension prior was palpable, but the elation was amazing! A two point full break sequential 151-way World Record skydive – outstanding!
Joey then motivated the group to show up for the next day for some unique fun…
Day 5 – Thursday
We were shared (on our phones, via Skydive Designer) this pretty ambitious 132-way whacker/pinwheel-like formation that honestly, didn’t seem feasible. Well, what do you know?…
First skydive, one grip off! Second, complete! Boom! 👊 We were told it was absolutely beautiful from the ground. A formation with almost no structure, put on as a “pick up” with some of the best skydivers on the planet – yes please!
That evening Niklas gave a speech about how Kelsey and Joey had taken the reins and run this event; it was quite touching. We then had an amazing BBQ dinner on the DZ in high spirits.
Day 6 – Friday, into the bonus day!
We had two 45-way groups – one led by Niklas and Martial, the other by Joey and Pete. Both teams made two skydives, and had lots of fun. The DZ then offered to do a DC3 load, where several groups got to make some super enjoyable skydives, with over 50% of the load making their pre-second [first] skydive from this classic old aircraft, sealing off the end of such an amazing week!
All in all it was a great event, accomplishing this new World Record in short order. I have nothing but praise and adulation for the folks who made this happen – this was such a well-run event all in all. I can’t wait for the next!
Thank you so much to the organizers, video staff, judges, pilots, ground, manifest, packers, chase crew, restaurant/bar staff, and everyone who helped ensure this event ran like a well-oiled machine!
Full Break Sequential Record Jump Video
