Skydive Orange hosted its Liberty Boogie: Sisters in Skydiving 2019 July 4-7. A stellar cast of organizers chased away the forecasted bad weather and everyone enjoyed a weekend of great jumps.

During the event, Chazi Blacksher, Melanie Curtis and Melanie Firth worked with female jumpers hoping to join the Project 19 Women’s Head-Down World Record Team for the attempts scheduled in 2020. Curtis also organized beginner belly jumps alongside Maxine Tate. Jared Miller organized freefly jumps, and a strong contingent of wingsuit flyers took to the skies, including performing some XRW (mixed wingsuit and canopy jumps).

Three jumpers hit milestones during the boogie. Monica Noncheva received a pieing for hitting jump 2,000; Kiara Bennett made her 900th jump; and Jason Johnson made his 600th. 

The time during the few weather holds filled up easily. Maxine Tate gave a seminar specific to big-way canopy flight. (The opening message: know your canopy.) Melanie Curtis gave a seminar on big-way flying and mental toughness. Wingsuit organizer Marie Clark hosted a Jeopardy-style game with skydiving questions.

Photographers David Cherry and David Wybenga of D-Squared captured sky and ground shots during the entire boogie. The very last load was an epic 12-way hybrid. A first-time visitor to the drop zone commented, “The vibe and environment of Orange is inclusive.” The attentive, inviting, safety-oriented club atmosphere of Skydive Orange, under the direction of DZ Manager Pam Young, is just that.

Chazi Blacksher | D-28539
Eloy, Arizona