Dear Santa,
It’s the end of another skydiving season. From your view up north, you’ve probably seen our best moments—and a few we’d rather forget. We had some great saves this year, but we also had too many hard landings and close calls that were avoidable. Most jumpers did things right, but a few choices reminded us how thin the margin for error can be.
So here’s my wish list, Santa. I’ve been mostly good. If you have some space between the reserve handles and the candy canes, could you help us shorten next year’s list?
♦ I wish every jumper would plan each landing and be ready to change the plan. Every approach—whether it’s a swoop or a straight-in—needs a bailout option. Abort early if the setup or altitude feels wrong. How many times have we heard, “I thought I could make it?” A missed swoop beats a missed season every single time.
♦ I want jumpers to put safety ahead of style. Low turns, water swoops and last-second carves for the camera look great—right up until the ambulance shows up. The crowd won’t remember your canopy skills, but you’ll remember the rehab. The real win is landing safely and walking away every time—not whether you stand it up.
♦ I’d love to see more eyes on altimeters. They’re not jewelry. Altitude awareness isn’t just for freefall—it’s essential for the entire skydive. Even Santa checks his altitude before coming in for landing.
♦ I wish everyone would bring back the humble PLF. It’s not just a student thing; it’s a survival thing. While your life rarely depends on it, your ankles and wrists often do. A proper PLF can turn a bad setup or poor flare into a story instead of a surgery.
♦ I want organizers to match skill levels with plans that make sense. Ambitious dives are fine—but only when everyone on the load belongs there. Leaving plenty of horizontal space between groups, breaking off higher and communicating clearly saves lives. A good jump doesn’t have to be complicated; it just needs to be safe.
♦ I’d like every jumper to treat handle checks like a ritual. Before exit, after a funnel, under canopy—touch them, confirm them, protect them. A loose handle is a ticking clock. Handle security isn’t paranoia; it’s smart skydiving.
♦ I wish people would stop waiting for malfunctions to fix themselves. They won’t. When you’re in a spinning-line twist that’s not recoverable, don’t think—act. “Don’t Delay—Cut Away!” isn’t a slogan; it’s a promise you make to yourself every time you gear up.
♦ I want everyone to fly gear that fits their experience, not their ego. New canopies, new containers, new gadgets—none of them make you safer until you understand them. Take it slow. Test every change. Trust what you’ve proven, not what you’ve purchased.
♦ I wish we’d all be a little more patient with the weather and spotting. Long spots, strong winds, low clouds—it’s okay to wait. You won’t lose any cool points for skipping a sketchy load. If it’s marginal, sit it out. The ground will still be there when the sky clears.
♦ I’d love to see cleaner canopy patterns again. Know the winds before boarding, fly predictable approaches and skip those last-second turns below 300 feet. Predictability saves more lives than talent ever will.
♦ I want instructors and coaches to stay grounded in the fundamentals. Flares, emergency procedures, PLFs and judgment all start there. Fancy drills are great, but only when the basics are solid. Students learn by what they see, and when instructors model good habits, the whole community becomes safer.
♦ And finally, Santa, I wish for a safety culture built on everyday excellence. Let’s make it normal to speak up, to ask questions, and to report honestly—not just when something goes wrong, but because that’s what great skydivers do. Next year, our goal is to normalize excellence and move away from the quiet slide into complacency that comes with the normalization of deviance. The best skydivers aren’t the loudest; they’re the ones who do things right, every time, even when no one’s watching—and they’re the ones still here, season after season.
That’s all for this season, Santa. Last year gave us hope—it was the safest in more than a decade. This year reminded us how fragile that progress can be. But I still believe we can swing the numbers back in the right direction. If you can grant a few of these wishes, next year could be another one for the record books. So, here’s to better choices, softer landings and more jumpers walking away smiling. Fingers crossed, Santa—let’s make next year one to remember for all the right reasons.
Ron Bell D-26863
USPA Director of Safety and Training