The Skydiving World Championships are taking place right now in Arizona, USA, where skydivers from across the world compete across various disciplines to be named the very best on the planet.
It’s especially exciting for us because there are a number of Skydive Langar staff, sponsored teams and fun jumpers in attendance.
We’re really proud of all of our skydivers who are representing Great Britain; the aim of this post is to tell you more about what a World Championship entails.
Qualification Criteria
The qualification criteria for a World Championship are considered the most challenging due to the fact that only one team per discipline, per country is asked to attend.
The chosen teams/individuals typically earn their place through their performance at their own country’s national championships. That means that each of the competitors has had to perform at the highest level in their chosen discipline before – and that the competition at a World Championship can be very exciting as a result.
Disciplines at the Skydiving World Championships
There are a number of disciplines included in the Skydiving World Championships, as there are in skydiving in general. These disciplines are:
- Canopy Piloting; using advanced techniques and skills to pilot the parachute in three major conditions of speed, distance and accuracy
- Canopy Formation; flying parachutes in close proximity and building set formations (shapes) by taking grips on one another
- Formation Skydiving; teams of either 4 or 8 performers create set formations in a prescribed sequence by taking grips on each other in either static or dynamic moves
- Wingsuit; wearing specifically designed winged suits, competitors compete to show skill and accuracy in horizontal flight
- Artistics; competitors fly in all orientations and are judged on their ability to perform a series of set moves, plus ‘free routines’ which are evaluated on their difficulty and delivery
- Speed; competitors compete achieve the fastest descent rate, as measured by a tool called a Fly Sight
Some disciplines compete at the same time as one another, whereas others are separated out into different competitions. All fall under the same umbrella of the FAI World Skydiving Championships and in 2022, those events are all between 10th and 26th October.
Event Schedule
The schedule of the World Championships includes the skydiving but also some other fun parts such as the opening and closing ceremonies and the closing parties.
Opening ceremonies tend to be conducted with a high level of formality, often inviting local people of authority or note to attend and participate. The competitors will be grouped according to their countries and typically wear matcing uniform of that country. The ceremony usually includes a parade, where each team walks behind their own flag.
Closing ceremonies include medal presentation and tend to be less formal in their style. Competitors will often wear the t shirts of their country or their own team t shirts and the ceremony includes dinner followed by drinks and a party.
Team tents and day to day activities
While all competitors are there to compete and jump, the number of jumps per day is limited. Usually, competitors get through 3 or 4 rounds in a day, so will have plenty of downtime during which they can relax and enjoy the event ambience.
There are team tents set up for each delegation, meaning that there will be a tent for each country. That’s not to say competitors don’t mingle – they definitely do! – but it’s a nice place for the members of the same delegation to meet up and wind down.
The team tents are decorated with bunting and flags of the country, and are surrounded by vendor tents, where representatives from skydiving brands will put their goods on display and catch up with any competitors they sponsor.
Scores and results
You can follow the scores and final results of the World Skydiving Championships 2022 at https://omniskore.com/comp/2022/2022_wpc_eloy2/default.shtml
Good luck everyone!