All SOS members and prospective members are invited to attend SOS Record attempts at Skydive Elsinore in California October 5-7. If you are an active, current relative worker with sufficient big-formation skills, you will be invited to participate in the record attempts.
 
Big way skills need work? Here's your chance to practice what you need to be part of the record skydives. Good coaching with video makes for fast improvement. In past years They've had several people who have progressed from here to the record dives and were part of a new SOS record. The big way camp starts Thursday, October 4, then runs concurrently with the record attempts.
 
Base practice will be September 29-30, the weekend before the record attempts. For those who would like to be there early, they will also be doing warm-up dives that weekend. You do not have to be part of the base practice or warm-up dives to participate in the record attempts. For more information contact jwbubba@aol.com

There is a "Coaching Roadshow" for style and accuracy at the Headcorn Parachute Centre in the UK on September 8-9. Julian Spencer, one of the greatest classics jumpers in the UK, will be leading it. If you want to know anything about classics, I recommend you get yourself to Headcorn for this event. And...it's FREE! (of course you have to pay for your jumps as normal).
 
Style and Accuracy make up the 'Classics' event. This is the oldest and best attended world championship discipline, with around 32 nations competing regularly. Struggling to survive in the UK, it is very much alive and kicking in the rest of the world. Everyone does accuracy - even if it's just getting back to the DZ. Go along and sharpen up your skills and learn how to constantly land in a small area. Great for display jumping too.
 
I also challenge you to see if you can pull off a style set. Although style jumpers use a unique and difficult 'tuck' position, Al Macartny has produced some good (medal winning) flat flying sets. So if you're an FS jumper, see how good YOUR inplace turns are, and see if you can do a backloop.
 
If you are interested to go, even if it is only to sit in on the seminars, please let the Headcorn Parachute Centre know in advance. This will be useful but is not a requirement. Feel free to just turn up on the day.

Who is invited:
Open invitation for jumpers wanting to learn how to do large formations, or for the more experienced jumpers a chance to practice and improve your skills.
 
These large formation skills include: diving, floating, docking, tracking, and base work. They will practice the skills necessary in smaller size groups, 16 to 20 ways, and then combine the groups to form larger groups. This is a great opportunity to be seen and get to know some of the top organizers in the world.
 
Minimum requirement to sign up:
200 relative work jumps in the last 2 years, have been in at least a 12 way, and docked 8th or later. For more information and if you are not sure if you qualify contact Kate Cooper at kate@square1.com. They only have a limited amount of slots, please sign up soon.
 
Goals:
Have Fun! Learning and toning the skills necessary to do 100+ way formations in a fun, safe and controlled environment Get exposed to top organizers and get a chance to get on future World Records and other quality "invitational" type skydives.
 
The Plan:
Day 1 and day 2: Participants will be broken into 16 to 20 way groups, they will practice basic large formation skills, using video and video debriefs (they will also do sequential). Five jumps each day from 12,500 ft.
 
Day 3 and day 4: They will combine the smaller groups to form larger groups (20 to 60 ways). They will do formation loads for groups larger then 22 ways. Five jumps a day from 12,500-15,000 ft with O2.
 
This event will consist of 20 jumps, plan on 5 jumps per day, if they are moving right along they may get in a 6th jump each day, and be able to finish early on the last day. They will finish the last dive on Sunday by 6 PM, so make your plans accordingly. They will be going from 12,500-15,000 ft with oxygen for all formation loads. They will be using a combination of Super Otters and a Skyvan. As always with our events Safety will be their number one goal!
 
Cost:
Registration fee $ 50 (this covers organization, paperwork, helpers, video)
10 jumps from 12,500 ft Jumps $210 (21 each)
10 jumps from 15,000 ft jumps $240 (24 each, with O2)
Total $500.00