Eighteen of the world’s best skydiving professionals gathered near the Port of San Diego at Embarcadero Marina Park in San Diego this weekend for the Swoop Freestyle FAI World Championships, and in the end it was a Spanish victory.
Spain’s Pablo Hernandez won the second leg of the event–a result that, together with his second place in Copenhagen last month, allowed him to claim the overall title of World Champion 2018.
With his win in Copenhagen, Arizona-based skydiver Travis Mills’ performance Saturday allowed him to claim the second spot on the podium, and Franco Darman of Argentina completed the world championship line-up by clinching third place.
Florida-based Curt Bartholomew was the fourth-place world-champion finisher, Christian Webber of Denmark took fifth, and female skydiver Cornelia Mihai of the United Arab Emirates grabbed sixth place.
Swoop Freestyle involves skydivers flying–or swooping–at high speeds across a body of water at the end of a jump. Also known as canopy piloting, participants are judged on both style and execution.
For the San Diego championships, the athletes jumped out of a helicopter at an altitude of 1,500 meters before performing a series of turns designed to build up speed at 600 meters above the landing area.
It is this speed–up to 93 miles per hour–which allows them to propel themselves across the surface of the water while executing highly technical freestyle moves.
This year’s San Diego event involved land and water-based entertainment, including wingsuiting, acro paragliding, culinary experiences and live musical acts.
The event began Friday and culminated with Saturday’s final round, an award ceremony, and a demonstration from the U.S. Navy Parachute Team, the Leap Frogs.
–Staff
