The dynamic duo—Julie Kleinwort and Amanda Kubik—organized the annual Sisters in Skydiving event at Chicagoland Skydiving Center in Rochelle, Illinois, June 7-9. It was the pair’s first time organizing the event, and they did so with a passion, contacting vendors, ordering dinners, filling boogie bags and making every attendee feel special. Forty-six women met at CSC for the tropical-luau-themed weekend.

Friday’s jumps were outstanding. Chazi Blacksher and Jazmyne Martinez split their time organizing the ladies training for the Project 19 women’s head-down world record next July and working with Little Sisters on belly and head-up dives. Erika Mundinger organized low-key belly and freefly dives, and Anne Webster took ladies on epic belly dives all weekend long. Photographers Javier Ortiz and Mark Kirschenbaum captured memories in the sky, as did Bruce Griffith and Leah Crubel on the ground. Friday night’s taco bar filled everyone’s appetite.

During Saturday morning’s safety briefing, Kubik reminded participants to cycle their automatic activation devices and to follow landing patterns. The day’s activities included Kleinwort and Blacksher initiating women into the Pink Mafia Sisters by passing a Barbie doll in freefall and Kubik leading a hula-hoop jump. Bridget Mahoney made her 100th jump, and Amanda Phillips flew in her first 3-way!

Saturday night’s activities kicked off with a limbo contest, and the Midwest sunset made a terrific backdrop for a group photo. The Flight Deck, the DZ’s onsite bar and restaurant, catered a yummy shish-kabob dinner while Kubik and Kleinwort announced raffle prizes from Aerodyne Research, Bev Suits, Blue Skies Magazine, Firebird, Flight-1, GWear, Icarus World, iFly, Larsen & Brusgaard, LiquidSky, Option Studios, Ouragan Suits, Para-Gear Equipment Co., Performance Designs, Rigging Innovations, Rock Sky Market, Socksmith, SSK Industries, TonySuits, United Parachute Technologies, Velocity Sports Equipment and Vertical Suits. Each participant had raffle tickets in their CSC SIS cooler and boogie bag. The ladies also earned raffle tickets by completing a BINGO board with tasks such as “jump with someone from another state” or “get a selfie with an organizer.” After prizes and dinner, a newer jumper and professional comedian Tamale Sepp and local fire spinners Mile Klash and Nick Russo entertained the crowd. The party eventually moved to the Flight Deck.

The party crowd almost welcomed Sunday’s low clouds, but the diehards managed to make a couple jumps before weather prevailed.

This event made clear that SIS has become more than a retention program. Women continue attending the events to give back. The value of the support women gain from SIS events carries on year after year. This year’s group included 21 ladies with a USPA Coach rating, 12 USPA AFF Instructors, 11 Federal Aviation Administration Riggers and seven USPA Tandem Instructors. CSC is a wonderful venue for SIS, and the community is lucky to have such giving Big Sisters.

Chazi Blacksher | D-28539
Eloy, Arizona