When it comes to canopy formation (aka "canopy relative work" or "CRW"), Kyle Taylor is one of the best in the business. His 4-way sequential team, Elsinore Revolution, has dominated recent USPA National Skydiving Championships, winning every year since 2019, and has twice medaled on the world stage. But as anyone who knows him well would tell you, his personality is as colorful as his trophy case. For his efforts to mentor others within the CF community, Taylor was given the “Golden Boot” award at the 2025 Nationals.
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“Kyle is another highly experienced CRW jumper who dedicates an incredible amount of time to promoting 4-way sequential and encouraging young jumpers to participate in competitions—more so than anyone I’ve seen before.” —Yuliya Pangburn, Parachutist profilee #288
Age: 47
Height: 5’8”
Birthplace: Syracuse, New York
Marital Status: Almost
Home Drop Zone: Skydive Elsinore in California
Pets: I have a cat!
Occupation: Engineer for Hyundai
Education: B.S. in mechanical engineering
Transportation: Sailboat preferred
Pet Peeves: When people are late. Or early.
Pre-Jump Superstitions: I don’t pack the day before. The gremlins get in there and cause line twists. Plus, you could die in your sleep and waste the pack job.
Favorite Food: Beer
Life Philosophy: Never give up. Also be nice.
Jump Philosophy: Have fun.
Team Name: Elsinore Revolution
Sponsors: Performance Designs, Skydive Elsinore, Sun Path
Container: Sun Path Javelin Odyssey
Main Canopy: PD CF Storm 107, PD Valkyrie 84
Reserve Canopy: PD Optimum 176, PDR 113
AAD: Airtec CYPRES in my freefall container, none for canopy formation
Disciplines: CF, FS video and anything fun
First Jump: 2008
Championships/Medals/Records: CF national champions since 2019, bronze at 2022 and 2024 world championships; night CF largest-formation record
Total Jumps: 5,500-plus
CF: 2,500
FS: 2,000
Freefly: 300
Camera: 300
Largest completed formation: 68?
Cutaways: 15?
Most people don't know this about me:
As a newer jumper (around 300 jumps), I had decided canopy formation skydiving was way too dangerous, and I would never do it. Later on, when the members of Too Wrapped Up did a Safety Day CF presentation at Elsinore, I knew for sure I would never do it!
What do you like most about canopy formation?
It’s the people. Skydivers are (for the most part!) a really great bunch of people. But within that, the CF community is really special. When I started, all the people coaching me did it for free. The coaching, lending gear, canopies, helping me assemble my new canopy—everyone did it simply because they love the discipline. When my 4-way CF team formed and pursued world-class coaching from Brian Pangburn, he spent a year working with us at no charge. He simply asked us to take it seriously. I fully support the professionals who get paid and make a living by teaching in skydiving, and the best, safest and most efficient way to learn is to hire a coach. It is the right way. Still, that the CF community does this simply for the love of sport is one thing that makes it so special. I think getting tangled in each other’s parachutes once in a while helps make us a tighter family.
Is there one jump that stands out most?
A practice jump where a good friend and teammate was injured. After that, I realized that “it can happen to me.” I didn’t even recognize that I had the “it can’t happen to me” mindset, I just considered myself risk-tolerant. The truth was that I was ignoring the risks. Although I guess no one would say that I am overly cautious, I am more aware and careful now.
Who has been your skydiving mentor?
Eric Gallan, who is the reason I joined the CRW community. While our entire community is incredibly giving, Eric is exceptional.
How did you become interested in skydiving?
Girls.
Any suggestions for students?
Besides taking your time and not rushing … Talk to many different skydivers and learn from their experiences. Take everything with a grain of salt. Not any one person is right about everything. Listen, think and decide what seems right. Maybe read the SIM.
What would you have everyone do to make the world a better place?
I would make everyone treat each other as though the other person has a broken ankle. I recently had the opportunity to experience this. Everyone was so nice!
Most embarrassing moment on a skydive:
Just happened a few days ago—uncurrent, back from an injury—on my seventh (and last) practice jump to prepare for Nationals. I chopped from a spinning line-over I earned by wrapping my teammate mid-jump and went flailing, spinning on my back. Panicked and going for my reserve handle, spinning on my back … I actually had to take time to think, “Wait, I am really high up. I should roll over. How do I do that? Oh, pull in my arm and arch.” And I did an AFF-style rollover. I can freefly, by the way.
What jump would you like to do again?
A 16-way night CF demo with pyrotechnics in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. The air was a bit bumpy and we had some struggles. The bottom rows came apart, I was briefly wrapped and I lost my shoe and the pyro. I’d like to do it again because I think there were some things I could have done better, and maybe we would have been able to keep the formation together. I did get to stand in front of the Egyptian president wearing only one shoe, which was cool.
Greatest competition moment?
After my most intense season of practice, round one of the 2019 USPA Nationals. The team that beat us in 2018 went on load one, and while my load was put on a weather hold, I watched them land pretty excited about their jump. For the next 40 minutes I sat in the loading area with my gear on, feeling like I would throw up. After the clouds cleared, we had a smooth jump and got our best score yet—11—a team best that held until 2025. I felt at that moment that we would win, but more importantly I knew how far we had come, it was the first time I felt like a “real” team, and not just a beginner team.
What drives your competitive spirit?
It is super fun. Although it causes me anxiety, I love the feeling of competition (and winning of course)!
What is your best advice for a new jumper looking to dive into the world of CF?
Do it! The key is to start with good group, of which there are many. If taught appropriately, the risks are relatively low at the beginning. As you learn, you should be gaining the knowledge to understand and decide your own risk tolerance—just like other types of skydiving.
Explain Kyle Taylor in five words or fewer:
Intense, Integrity, Stubborn, Beer