A recent Salmon Arm skydiving event saw seven jumpers brave frigid temperatures at 12,500 feet to break a record of the naked kind.
Over the May long weekend (May 17-20), Skydive Salmon Arm hosted its Mayhem Boogie event. Approximately 80 skydivers from as far as Saskatchewan and California took part in fun and tandem jumps from 12,500 feet (above ground level), utilizing a Nomad Air Skyvan that enabled up to 20 people to jump at once.
A highlight of the event was a fun jump involving seven skydivers, Ryan Mouzas of Fort St. John, Megan Rose of Edmonton, Dan Marshall of Calgary, Blaine Penner from Castlegar, Kazz Gallant of Wainwright, Alta. and Mike Davis and Mikali Tudor of Oceanside, California. For the jump, the group wore shoes, parachutes, helmets and nothing else. Their naked jump wound up setting a record with The Society for the Advancement of Naked Skydiving.
鈥淚t鈥檚 this whole thing that skydivers are 鈥� I don鈥檛 know why because I can鈥檛 imagine coming in under canopy naked, there鈥檚 too many things that can go wrong,鈥� laughed Skydive Salmon Arm drop zone manager Sara Langlois. 鈥淏ut some skydivers really like jumping naked and there鈥檚 an entire society for it and so yeah, this is a worldwide society and they got the record for the biggest formation naked.鈥�
Langlois said at one point on the day of the jump the temperature at 12,500 was -21 C, and that it wasn鈥檛 much warmer at the time of the jump. She guessed the free fall in formation lasted about 40 seconds before the naked jumpers broke away from one another to complete their landing.
Langlois noted such jumps are more difficult than one might think.
鈥淵ou wouldn鈥檛 ever think about it, but you are so slick without your clothes on, there is no drag, so doing even the most basic manoeuvres in the sky is shockingly difficult because you have no real leverage for your steering,鈥� she explained. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why this formation number isn鈥檛 huge because it鈥檚 actually really hard to hold.鈥�
While the jump was a success, one of the landings was a bit rougher than expected.
鈥淥ne of the guys in there didn鈥檛 quite make the grass landing area and something happened where he came a little a bit low and he ended up landing, skidding on his butt on the gravel,鈥� laughed Langlois. 鈥淗e went back to his trailer and picked some rocks out of his bum.鈥�
Upon landing, another of the skydivers was met with a celebration involving him being covered in whipped cream.
鈥淭hat was his 100th jump and it鈥檚 a skydiving tradition here in Canada that when you do your 100th jump we plaster you in whipped cream,鈥� said Langlois. 鈥淗e landed his skydive buck naked with his rig on and we were like, OK, you have 30 seconds to get your gear off, and then he just got covered in whipped cream in the landing area. He鈥檚 running around like a greased pig trying to get away from everybody. It was awesome. This is what we do on weekends.鈥�
Langlois said the May long weekend event, supported by the Salmon Arm Economic Development Society and funding through the Municipal and Regional District Tax program, was one of several planned for this year. For the Canada Day weekend, a skills progression boogie is in the works where coaches will be helping to 鈥済et our skydivers up to higher licences.鈥� A September long weekend boogie is also planned. Langlois said it will be similar to the May event, 鈥渂ut hopefully with better weather.鈥�
Langlois said the boogie events are open to the public.
鈥淵ou can bring your kids out, you can come check out the planes, you can watch the landings, we do rides in the co-pilot seat of the plane so the public can come out, they don鈥檛 have to jump but they can still get involved,鈥� said Langlois.
Asked if the naked record breaking was a one-off, Langlois suggested it may become a common occurrence at the local boogie events.
鈥淎s soon as it got posted, it started up a, 鈥榳ell, we鈥檙e going to do nine on the September boogie,鈥� so now I think it may be a bit of a competition at our boogies鈥�,鈥� said Langlois.
For more information, visit skydivesalmonarm.ca.
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