Competition Held In The Heart Of Copenhagen

U.S. skydivers cleaned up at the first ever FAI Swoop Freestyle World Championships, which were held in the heart of Copenhagen over the weekend of 25-26 August 2017. David Ludvik (USA) took the FAI Gold Medal, while teammates Nick Batsch (USA) and Curt Bartholomew (USA) were in silver and bronze positions.

The competition saw 18 of the world’s best Canopy Piloting (Swooping) skydivers take part, performing at an over-water venue in the center of downtown Copenhagen, Denmark.

The FAI Swoop Freestyle World Championships 2017 was the first FAI-sanctioned Swoop Freestyle World Championships ever held, and follows a new collaboration between the FAI and a specialist sports company, A. Sports. The high-impact, adrenalin-fuelled discipline of Freestyle Canopy Piloting is known as Swooping, and involves parachutists flying at high-speed across a ‘Swooping Pond’ to score points based on style and execution.

Where Canopy Piloting events are typically held in airfields and parachute dropzones away city centers, the new FAI Swoop Freestyle World Championships take place in locations chosen to attract maximum exposure and public attention. “We are extremely proud of this first ever FAI Swoop Freestyle World Championship," said George Blythe, the CEO of A. Sports. "It was really well organized and attended by over 100,000 spectators. It was a two-day urban parachuting festival in downtown Copenhagen that went out to the entire world online. It's been a perfect weekend with a very exciting final.”

After an intense and close final round Ludvik won by less than a point. Free concerts, street food, wingsuit displays and bungy-jumping from a 60-metre crane created a festival atmosphere in the heart of the city.

"Congratulations to the winners, and to all the competitors, for an excellent event," said FAI Secretary General Susanne Schödel. Thanks to the organizers A.Sports for putting on a great competition, to the City of Copenhagen for its great support, and to all those who contributed with their Parachuting expertise. We are looking forward to continue working with A. Sports to make the FAI Swoop Freestyle World Championships a big success.”

(Source: FAI news release. Image from Facebook)

FMI: www.fai.org, www.facebook.com/swoopfreestyle