On Saturday, January 26, California DZs Skydive Elsinore and Skydive San Diego held a friendly competition revolving around the Bob Buquor Memorial Star Crest Awards. Jumpers earn an SCR—an award conceived of by Bill Newell in 1965—by participating in a star (aka round) formation consisting of eight or more jumpers. With the competition, the two DZs aimed to build camaraderie with their newer jumpers and get them their SCR numbers. The DZs competed in three areas: building the most SCR formations, building the first SCR formation and handing out the most SCR numbers.

Skydive San Diego must not have paid off the weather gods because winds kept them grounded until late Saturday. However, one 8-way team made it up and earned six new SCR members. The gang had so much fun on Saturday, they returned on Sunday just to get back into the air. 

At Skydive Elsinore, the forecast called for winds, so the competitors rose early and were in the sky by 8:30 a.m. Two teams, both of which included 10 jumpers who were hunting for their SCRs, were successful on their first attempts. One team, an 11-way, held its formation for 11 seconds! Skydive Elsinore welcomed 20 new SCR members and came out on top of the battle, but everybody who earned their SCRs that day were winners. 

Mary SantAngelo | D-9944
Perris, California