Each year over the New Year’s holiday break, USPA hosts the National Collegiate Parachuting Championships, the longest-running collegiate skydiving competition in history. This year’s Collegiates will take place at Skydive Arizona in Eloy December 28, 2018-January 2, 2019. Collegiates brings together nearly 100 students from colleges and universities across the country for friendly competition in multiple disciplines—2-way, 4-way and 6-way formation skydiving, 2-way vertical formation skydiving, sport accuracy and classic accuracy.

Many collegiate skydivers don’t realize that they can compete at Collegiates with only a USPA A license. Several of the events are catered specifically toward beginner skydivers. For example, to compete in 2-way FS, you must have fewer than 125 jumps. And the classic and sport accuracy events both have beginner categories. Going to Collegiates is a great way to meet other college skydivers, learn from more experienced jumpers, improve your skills and have a great time over the winter break. Your club doesn’t need to be big or have matching gear. Club members can even go as individuals and compete in accuracy. Individual jumpers can also use social media to form teams with students from other schools and compete just for a fun learning experience.

This year’s Collegiates will be during Skydive Arizona’s famous Holiday Boogie, so competitors can enjoy the parties, load organizers and other fun boogie activities. And if competition finishes early, competitors can unite for large-formation record attempts on New Year’s Day.

It’s not too soon for collegiate clubs to start planning, training and fundraising. To find out more about Collegiates, email

competition@uspa.org and download Chapter 7 of the Skydiver’s Competition Manual at competition.uspa.org.