Yong Chisholm, a longtime California skydiver of Korean descent, dreamed for more than 20 years of building an all-Korean freefall formation. It was a daunting task since skydiving is not common in Korea, and most jumpers there need to travel to the United States to have access to drop zones where they can improve their skills. Over the years, Chisholm coached many Korean skydivers at Skydive Elsinore in California, and she finally felt there were enough qualified jumpers to shoot for a Korean national record. At the end of January, nearly 30 Korean jumpers gathered at the DZ to make Chisholm’s vision take shape.

The group had early success with a 19-way on January 30, but that was followed by six days of rain. The jumpers were dedicated to their task and powered through the wait. Getting back in the air on February 7, they nearly built a 25-way formation. Energized, they met again the next day and built a 22-way on their first jump and a 26-way on their second. However, the jumpers wanted to go bigger yet and made plans for the next day.

By now, the weather gods were feeling generous, and Friday, February 9, was a magical day. On the second jump of the day, the group flew a successful 27-way formation! It was a long, cold and wet journey, but the group had gone above and beyond and fulfilled Chisholm’s vision with a 27-way Korean Record for Largest Formation Skydive. 

Mary SantAngelo | D-9944
Perris, California