March 2-4, 32 expert formation skydivers from drop zones across the length and breadth of the United States and from as far away as Brazil, Canada, Norway, Russia and the United Kingdom gathered at Skydive Arizona in Eloy for three days of phenomenal formation skydives. The organizational team of Guy Wright, guest captain Niklas Hemlin of Arizona Airspeed and videographer David French, also from Airspeed, tested the intrepid team with 20 difficult sequential skydives from 15,500 feet over the desert. Skydivers shuffled slots and sampled the exit views out of both lead and trail planes as Wright repeatedly challenged them to fly at 110 percent.

Team Elite is Wright’s brainchild. For the past 15 years, he has organized these invitational events around the country to provide low-cost, high-end, complex big-way sequential events for jumpers who are accomplished in both big-way and competitive formation skydiving.

Imagine almost always building the first point within the first 35 seconds. Completing five-point 32-ways with complete breaks between points. Flying no-contact 32-ways with every person close enough to take grips. Spinning 4- and 8-way pieces. Building 16 2-way compressed accordions all linked together into diamonds. Burble-hopping two 16-way zipper chains over each other (in the middle of a three-point skydive). Formations where more than two-thirds of the participants are not facing the center. Unstable formations with chains of cats amid bipoles and large open spaces. How about making 4-way cat chains off of an 8-way base … as the third point? At this event, none of this was difficult enough, so the group went big and made Wright proud by successfully building an “X” consisting of 8-way chains of cats off of a 4-way star in the center.

In the morning on the last day of the event, the group gathered for a photo near the loading area. Every face was glowing, lit by sparkling eyes and huge smiles because the dives they completed were interesting, difficult and different. When 32 fantastic skydivers who gel with each other all bring their A games to the sky, magic happens.

This team set the bar high for next year’s March Team Elite event at Skydive Arizona. Jumpers who are interested in participating can contact Wright at guywright@me.com to discuss qualifications.

Erin Orwig | D-35756  
Mesa, Arizona