Women Get a Jump on World Skydive Record

November 4, 2010 — You could say that a group of women are really getting a jump on things. Or that jumping out of bed must be quite easy for them. All puns aside, the women, including Sgt. Jen Schaben of the Army’s Golden Knights Demonstration Team, plan to jump into the record books on November 25-29. The group hopes to set a new all female vertical world record at Skydive Arizona. The women practiced their skills at the Women’s Vertical Record Skills Camp on October 28-29, also at Skydive Arizona, allowing participants to meet the organizers of the world record attempt, as well as to meet and jump with the other women who are planning on jumping in the record attempt. Over the 10 jumps during the camp, the 16 women who were participating worked on different exit positions, getting to the formation safely, and two plane formation loads. The camp culminated in successful formations of up to 22 jumpers. For the record attempts later this month, each formation will be carefully planned, from the exit order of each jumper, to grip sequence and break-off altitudes. For it to be an official record, each jumper must make it to her predetermined slot, and everyone must have the correct grip at the same moment. After the jump, judges scrutinize video and still photos, looking for a single view from one of the camera flyers that shows every grip. The group’s next practice will be a warm-up camp November 23-24. The current Women’s Vertical World Record is a 20 way, a formation where all 20 participants got to their slots with the correct grip, and the organizers for the upcoming record attempt are looking to double that number later this month, hoping for at least a 40 way. Click here to view a video of the skydiving camp.		Sgt. Jen Schaben, of the Army’s Golden Knights Gold Demonstration Team, is one of 40 women expected to participate in the Women’s Vertical World Record on November 25-29. You can see her in this practice jump in the top left side with the black and gold Army rig. Photo credit: Craig Amrine Sixteen women set the Women’s Vertical Record in 2003. That record was since broken with 20 women, and organizers now plan to break that record in late November with 40 women, Photo credit: Jason Peters

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