Bay Area Skydiving in Byron, California, held its Oktoberfest Boogie October 12-14 and saw an exceptional turnout of more than 150 experienced jumpers and 100 tandem students. The Central California drop zone, which is near Silicon Valley and offers breathtaking views of the San Francisco Bay area and the Northern California Hills, has been in business for more than 25 years. This was the third year for Oktoberfest and the first under new management, which took over the drop zone in February. Owner Shaun Fenner and Safety and Training Advisor Mattie Guthrie have sparked a renewed passion for the DZ, which has done more than double the business in its first nine months than it did in all of 2017.

Jumpers made close to 900 skydives from multiple aircraft during the 2018 Oktoberfest. World-class organizers put together amazing jumps that catered to all skill levels. World champion wingsuit flyer Chris Geiler and Ted Chen led wingsuit jumps; Ian Durell rocked freefly and angle dives; Lori Connor from the Northern California Skydiving League put together 4-way formation skydives; and Byron’s very own John Dobleman organized the always-fun Carroll Shaw 6-Way Speed Scrambles.

Management has big plans and has scheduled improvements to spur on Bay Area Skydiving’s continued growth. Fenner and Guthrie are scheduling future events (including the Oktoberfest Boogie 2019) and expanding load organizing services to attract more fun-jumper participation in the upcoming year.

Adam Myers  | D-31092
Byron, California