Dueling DZs—a 6-way formation skydiving competition between California DZs Skydive Elsinore and Skydive Perris—took place on July 21 after a two-year hiatus, and the rivalry was intense! The friendly competition between the neighboring drop zones attracted nine teams—three from Elsinore and six from Perris—which alternated between jumping into their home DZ and the opposing DZ during the event. Each team had a handicap, which made choosing teammates based on their handicap just as important as choosing based on their skill levels.

The morning of the competition, three teams loaded a Twin Otter and departed from Elsinore while three teams departed from Perris in its Otter. Both Otters flew to the opposing DZ, and once the teams exited, the competition was on! Back and forth the Otters flew until all four rounds were finished.

It was a close race for first between Skydive Elsinore’s Protected Six (Team Captain Josh Hall, Cat Isgrigg, John Legge, Max Savin, Brian Schroeder, Zack Winoker and Brian Young) and Skydive Perris’s Pirates (Team Captain Dan Brodsky-Chenfeld, Thomas Allen, Bob Bonitz, Cathy Coon, Kasey Harris, Kevin Kierce and Dan Pillasch). In the end, Protected Six took the gold with the Perris Pirates taking silver. The race for third place was even tighter with two teams from Skydive Perris—Maxcleavage and Team 666—each scoring a 43 at the end of the four rounds. The judges went to the rule book and determined that 666 took the bronze due to its handicap. That evening at a sports bar midway between the two DZs, the organizers handed out the famous Dueling DZs plaque and medals. The teams wrapped up the day with dinner and drinks, a great way to end a hot competition.

Mary SantAngelo | D-9944
Perris, California