When it came to having fun, the Bahama Beach Boogie 2018 in the island nation of the Bahamas delivered! The event, hosted February 3-11 on the west end of Grand Bahama island by Sky’s the Limit in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, attracted 60 attendees for more than a week of jumps from a 900-horsepower Super Caravan. Jay Veenendaal from Flying Addicts organized freeflyers, Travis Mickle from Wicked Wingsuits took care of the wingsuit flyers, and Doug Barron from SDC Rhythm XP and Louis French organized belly flyers on the 100-plus loads flown during the event. Two tandem instructors— Joe Rizza and Sam Tomlin—also provided skydives for locals and vacationing tourists.

The options for fun on the island were endless, not only for skydivers but also for those who didn’t jump. The Old Bahama Bay Resort, where the attendees stayed, had a beautiful pool and an amazing tiki bar and hosted a Super Bowl viewing party that included big-screen TVs and Buffalo wings! Participants also enjoyed trips to national parks, all sorts of water activities (including swimming with sharks!) and visits to an undisturbed sea-glass-covered beach. In the middle of the stay, boogie-goers had the opportunity to embrace Bahamian culture and participate in a local parade known as a junkanoo.

The boogie did more than just entertain jumpers and their friends, it also brought a much-needed boost to the economy at the west end of Grand Bahama, which had suffered after Hurricane Matthew struck in 2017. Sky’s the Limit DZOs Teresa Rivers and Jeff Root, along with their professional staff (which included instructors, riggers and packers), made the Bahama Boogie 2018 a legendary event.

Audra Gonzalez | C-45611
Whitehall, Pennsylvania