Pepperell Skydiving Center in Massachusetts delivered a smash-hit Barefoot Boogie this summer. Led by DZO Fran Strimenos and boogie-meister Iain Guthrie, PSC’s crackerjack staff and pilots scored the grand slam of nonstop flying, fabulous food, fine entertainment and fun, while Bobby Goldman reunited New England’s formation skydiving brotherhood on the ground and in the air.
This year’s theme was “Rocking the Pink!” in loving tribute to DZ videographer and national competitor Rick Smith, who passed away last October. Smith was famous for insisting, “Real men do wear pink.” Guthrie pulled out all the stops, plastering Pepperell with pink flamingos, flowers, pinwheels, elaborate lighting, T-shirts, fedoras and spikey pink Mohawk wigs. Under canopy, skydivers painted the sky with bags of pink glitter and confetti.
Mother Nature provided spectacular sunshine, blue skies and light breezes to the grateful skydivers. Organized FS and vertical formation skydiving loads, as well as nonstop tandems, kept the turbines humming, and jumpers fueled daytime adventures with excellent meals provided by the Pepperell Lions Club. The Lions raised $2,500 for their charitable projects, including programs to assist children with vision challenges. After hours, adult beverages flowed as food contributions from skydivers augmented Friday night’s sumptuous rib barbecue and Saturday’s world-class pig roast. Aatif Rathod tag-teamed with Guthrie to recruit local bands CORE and Trash Talk to provide live musical entertainment. Rathod himself rocked out on vintage trash cans.
The centerpiece of this year’s event was Goldman’s 36-way invitational. Years ago, when many DZs flew only Cessnas, the rare appearance of a large turbine aircraft magnetized northeastern jumpers. “We all came together. The entire skydiving community migrated to that DZ. We were a band of brothers sharing the same passion,” Goldman said. Inspired by Pepperell’s plan to add a Skyvan to its resident Twin Otter, he said, “I saw an opportunity to bring friends from DZs across New England together for some big-way skydiving. Goals: reunite skydivers from across the northeast and build the biggest all-New England BFR [big f-ing round].” Goldman recruited talent from Pepperell; Connecticut Parachutists Inc. in Ellington; Jumptown in Orange, Massachusetts; and Skydive New England in Lebanon, Maine.
With tremendous support from organizers Pete Levasseur, Josh Wolfe, Tom McLaughlin, as well as the boogie pilots and manifest, Goldman’s team emerged victorious: Skydivers enjoyed the greatest regional family reunion in recent memory and completed their all-New England BFR 36-way, smashing the unofficial northeast record. In the process, the big-way veterans set a 33-way Massachusetts Parachutists Over Phorty Society Record for Largest Formation Skydive. Steve Feldman’s photograph of the BFR revealed a stunningly cosmic coincidence: The 12:00 quadrant’s timing backing out for the second point to form the round left a perfectly heart-shaped formation many believed formed the ultimate tribute to Smith, the principal team videographer.
The wish list for next year’s boogie? Great vibes, great dives, three turbine aircraft ... and a helluva great party!
Jim Orent | C-25611
Nashua, New Hampshire