Description

 This October, skydivers from over 25 states and 30 countries will descend upon Skydive Arizona in Eloy, Arizona, to compete in various skydiving disciplines at the highest level in the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (World Air Sports Federation) World Parachuting Championships. U.S. skydivers will have a semblance of “home-field advantage” during the competition Oct. 10-26 as the world shifts its gaze to one of the premier drop zones in America.

The U.S. team was formed based on the results of the 2021 National Skydiving Championships. This elite group will compete in a multitude of competitions ranging from high-speed canopy piloting to classic, jaw-dropping formation skydiving. This multi-week event will bring together the best of the best in each contest as they strive to showcase their skills at the highest level of competition.

Several top U.S. competitors will look to replicate their success from the last FAI World Skydiving Championships, which took place in Russia in 2021. Speed skydivers Maxine Tate and Kyle Lobpries will vie to become two-time world speed skydiving champions after the pair snatched gold in the 2021 competition in their respective divisions. The U.S. 8-way formation skydiving team looks to find a way to stand atop the podium once again after beating out the likes of France, Qatar and others for gold in 2021.

“We are absolutely thrilled to have the World Championships return to the United States,” says Albert Berchtold, Executive Director of the United States Parachute Association, “As competitors from across the globe converge on Eloy, Arizona, we look forward to two weeks of highly competitive skydiving.”

Spectators can attend both weeks one (Oct. 12-16) and two (Oct. 21-25) of the event, with jumps happening from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day, weather permitting. Spectators will be able to watch skydivers land live and on large LED screens that will broadcast the in-air footage from each skydive.

The world skydiving championship will return to U.S. soil for the first time since it took place at Skydive Chicago in 2016. The competition at Skydive Arizona kicks off with the high-flying events of Canopy Piloting, Canopy Formation and Wingsuit Flying and concludes on Oct. 26 with awards ceremonies for four events, including Formation Skydiving and Speed Skydiving.

To learn more about the 2022 FAI World Parachuting Championships, visit www.skydivingworldchampionships.com. To learn more about USPA, visit www.uspa.org.