Year Full Of Unforgettable Moments Including 86-Year-Old’s 1,000th Jump

The U.S. Parachute Association is celebrating an eventful year in the sport by noting the biggest stories and achievements from the year. Highlights include an 86-year-old skydiver achieving 1,000 jumps and earning her USPA Gold Wings, new world records set, and skydivers completing 26,718 jumps on World Skydiving Day.

Albert Berchtold Executive Director of USPA said, “This has marked one of the most significant and impressive years for achievements in skydiving, with skydivers showcasing their skills, setting records, and advancing the sport at world-class drop zones across the United States. We continue to see skydivers push the limits of what some may think is possible, and we’re so proud of the many accomplishments in the sport this year.”

Landmark moments of 2025 include:

• 104 skydivers from 20 countries came together at Jump Florida Skydiving to break the Canopy Formation World Record, beating the previous record set in 2007. The skydivers simultaneously jumped out of seven planes to meet mid-air and form a diamond pattern.
• 4,088 people received training and fulfilled the requirements for their USPA A License, the first solo skydiving license issued by USPA. To earn an A License, skydivers must complete a minimum of 25 jumps, fulfill all requirements on the USPA A-License Proficiency Card, and pass the USPA A-License written and oral exams.
• 86-year-old skydiver Kim Knor completed her 1,000th jump and earned the prestigious USPA Gold Wings, a feat few ever achieve. Her journey started in 1959, when she forged her parents’ signatures to make her first jump. In the decades since, Knor has jumped at more than 90 drop zones across the country. Her story made national headlines in the news media, magazines, and tv shows.
• Over 500 skydivers from across the U.S. competed at the 2025 USPA National Championships, the premier competitive skydiving event in the U.S and the selection event for the U.S. Parachute Teams, which will represent the country in the 2026 international championships. Competitions were hosted at Skydive Elsinore in Southern California and Skydive Arizona in Eloy, Arizona. Elite athletes competed in multiple skydiving disciplines including high-speed canopy piloting, wingsuit flying, canopy formations, and freefall formations.
• Husband-and-wife skydivers Sven Jseppi and Heather McLay successfully set a new Guinness World Record for Most Tandem Skydives in 24 Hours, completing 108 jumps together at Skydive OBX. The previous record of 105 tandem skydives was set in 2011.

• 174 elite skydivers from over 25 countries successfully set a new head-down world record at Skydive Chicago, flying vertically in freefall to build a massive, intricate formation that eclipsed the previous record of 164-person set in 2015. The team exited nine aircraft at 19,000 feet and had just 60 seconds to find their slots, lock hands, and hold the formation before breaking apart to deploy 174 parachutes in unison.
• The first U.S. all-female team to set a world record in acrobatic wingsuit flying, linking 12 controlled holds in freefall during the FAI World Cup of Wingsuit Flying in the Czech Republic. The record was accomplished by Elizabeth Brott, Laurel Hargis, and Becca Jordan.
• On the second annual World Skydiving Day, 26,718 skydives were completed and officially reported around the world. With first-time jumpers and experienced skydivers alike, they celebrated the thrill of the sport.
• Sebastian Alvarez Orellana shattered three wingsuit world records in speed: 550 km/h (342 mph), distance of flight: 53.45 km (33.22 miles), and total flight time of 11 minutes, 1 second. This event took place at USPA Group Member drop zone, West Tennessee Skydiving, in what was named the “Red Bull Starman Mission.”
• The U.S. Parachute Team brought home six gold, six silver, and four bronze medals, as well as three new world records after competing in the FAI World Cups for speed, formation skydiving, canopy piloting, wingsuit flying, and artistic skydiving.

FMI:  www.uspa.org/