For the first time, USPA and Sigma hosted the STAR Awards at the Parachute Industry Association Symposium in Dallas, Texas. The Skydiving Technology Advancement Roundup competition invited anyone who manufactures, designs, engineers or promotes technology products in the skydiving field to enter product submissions in three categories: jumper experience, drop zone tools, and safety and training. Nine finalists—three in each category—presented their products at the USPA booth in the PIA exhibit hall February 5-7.

Winners in the three main categories won $1,500 each, and the two choice awards each earned $500. Judges selected the following winners:

• Safety and Training: SkydiVR, by Ronnie Hughan, a virtual reality flight simulator that can help students and skydivers prepare for their canopy flights at different DZs  
• Drop Zone Tools: Spot Assist Big Picture, by Andrey Kan, which gives skydivers the big picture of current weather conditions to help them plan their skydives
• Jumper Experience: ColorAlti, by Casey Mongoven at Freefall Data Systems LLC, a barometric-pressure-based, peripheral-vision skydiving altimeter and vertical descent speed indicator that utilizes color to indicate a person's current altitude or vertical descent rate
• People's Choice: Spacesuit Skydive, by Trent Tresch at Earth & Space Exploration LLC, a high-altitude skydiving pressure suit (space suit) for the average jumper
• Sigma's Choice: GearPro, by Jody Moore, a dynamic system for drop zone staff to keep track of gear and manage contractors who pack parachutes

Skydive-TV’s episodes on the STAR Award presentations at PIA are available here and here.