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The 2003 Parachute Industry Association Symposium set for Jan. 26-31 in Jacksonville, Florida, is quickly approaching as the organization’s $100 “price break” date passed Friday. The symposium will surely be packed with the latest innovations and developments from within the parachute, rigging and skydiving industries. Despite the exorbitant registration fees and hotel rates of this event, most skydivers, riggers, drop zone owners and manufacturers agree the information provided is well worth the cost. PIA membership dues range from $150-$500 a year. If you are a PIA member, you receive a $20 discount on the $295 registration fee, which was $195 before November 1. The 5-day event with a definite lean toward riggers is also a FAA-sanctioned Rigger Continuing Education Program. The 2003 PIA Symposium will be held at Adam’s Mark hotel in Jacksonville. Room rates are $109 a night. Two riggers sharing a room for the 5-day conference could pay as much as $800 each for travel, food, lodging and registration fees. For those riggers unable to spend that much money or time for the whole symposium, PIA offers a one-day pass for $95. A schedule of seminars and speakers is available at the PIA web site. I’m not sure at this point if I’ll be able to afford the entire event, but there are several seminars I’m interested in. These include the packing/rigging seminars for Javelin, Racer, Relative Workshop and Softie as well as the “Square Repairs” seminar by “Rags” and “Rigging Tips” by Dave DeWolf. Riggers have raved about past symposiums due to the wealth of rigging information, tips and tricks. For those unable to attend, I would like to see the PIA put together a set of video tapes of all the rigging seminars. While it may be dry to watch for your average skydiver, I believe there would be a lot of interest from the rigging industry. It would also expand the reach of the FAA’s Rigger Continuing Education Program.

Atlanta Skydiving Center held its 2002 Fall Season Swoop Competition this past weekend on its 230-foot swoop pond. The meet dished out $1,000 in cash and prizes, which served as the final warm-up meet for the end-of-the-year swoop competition at Fantasy of Flight. Hans Paulsen as well as two members of Mr. Pink placed high in the pro and intermediate events. Team Method served as meet management, coordinating the loads and swoop order as well as putting together the actual course itself. The pro division of the meet consisted of two rounds of three events. The pro event included distance, water targets and zone accuracy. Hans Paulsen, sponsored by Chuting Star Rigging Loft, placed first overall by finishing first in distance and second in water targets and zone accuracy. It was Paulsen’s first overall win at a swoop meet. Paulsen jumps a 98 Icarus VX and has participated in swoop meets the last three years. In the intermediate division, local skydivers Jesse Watson and Chuck Owen took first and second place, respectively. Mr. Pink member Adam Wheeler finished third, followed by teammate Mike Gruwell in fourth. The intermediate division consisted of three rounds of distance. Two 10-foot wind blades were set 42 feet apart at one end of the pond. The swoopers had to fly between the wind blades and the distance was marked from the first point of contact, be it water or land. While many got wet, the meet finished with no injuries as Team Method required helmets on all competitors and the freefly team also held a swooping seminar a few weeks earlier on swoop safety and techniques. For more information on Chuting Star Rigging Loft’s sponsored athletes, click on this link. Chuting Star provides free or discounted rigging work to its competitors as well as swoop support in the form of manufacturing slider keepers and riser tabs and washing containers. Go Compete!