A record-breaking jump over Lake Taupō earlier this week is a reflection of the growing competitive skydiving scene in New Zealand, with more Kiwis taking to the skies.
Ten female skydivers completed a two-point, 10-way formation on Monday to set the new record with the New Zealand Parachute Federation (NZPF) ratifying the effort shortly after.
The jump involved the party of 10 coming together to create one formation before breaking apart and forming a second one during their freefall, resulting in a sequential record.
NZPF President Sue Walsh, who happened to be one of the 10 skydivers involved in the effort, told 1News the jump was years in the making.
"This particular project started just pre-Covid," Walsh said.
"We had planned to do it in April [2020] but it got cancelled due to Covid so we've consistently running training camps to get the girls out and jumping to make sure that they were ready for the record attempt."
In the build-up to the record attempt, 19 skydivers were training to be part of it before the final 10 were selected.
Walsh said multiple factors go in to who makes the final cut with coaches taking hopefuls in smaller groups to assess their skills before a call is made on the day of the jump attempt.
"Those people who are consistently performing in the lead up to the jump are the ones who go ahead."
Walsh added those who didn't make the final cut still got plenty of experience and jumps in which would help them towards making other jumps in the future - such as their next record attempt which also involves male skydivers later this week.
Born to dive
Walsh has been part of the NZPF for five years, starting as treasurer before becoming the president, but her passion for the sport precedes that thanks to the influence of her family.
"I've been skydiving for 20 years," she said.
"Both of my parents were skydivers so I've grown up around the sport and the industry.
"It's definitely in my blood."
Having been born and raised in Ireland, Walsh moved to New Zealand 11 years ago before eventually finding the federation.
Founded in 1958, the organisation is made up of skydivers, pilots and fans of the sport and has gone through multiple forms since its creation to adjust to the changing landscape of skydiving in Aotearoa.
"Originally, it was the one-and-only governing body of skydiving in New Zealand but that's changed significantly over the years and now the ambit of the NZPF is literally to promote sports and competition skydiving," Walsh said.
"A huge part of skydiving in New Zealand of course is tandem skydiving where we have tourists and interested people coming to make a tandem skydive - that's a big industry but it's administrated by the New Zealand Parachute Industry Association.
"But the NZPF is all about competition and sports."
A growing sport
Walsh said more and more Kiwis are starting to get into competitive skydiving with yearly national competitions being held.
The national competition is broken down into two sections - freefall and canopy - with the freefall's four-person section a popular event.
"You get four people and a camera person and the four skydivers are jumping out and they're doing pre-designated moves in 35 seconds," Walsh said.
"The team that makes the most shapes or the most points in 35 seconds is the winner."
At this year's nationals in Motueka in February, a team called Tina and the Dinosaurs came out on top in the four-way section, earning the right to head to the World Championships later this year in Arizona.
"It's really exciting that you can go and represent your country at that advanced level on a world stage," she said.
"We have a selection of really skilled canopy piloting athletes that go to world championships as well."
Walsh added those wanting to get involved in the sport and join the NZPF simply just need to become a licensed skydiver, which can be done through an accelerated freefall course.
"That programme can be done all over the country," she said.
"Once you get your license, you are a beginner skydiver so you have to build up your jump numbers and practice and get coaching and all of that before you're ready to go to a national skydiving competition.
"But you do have to have a little bit of experience."
Anyone interested in completing an accelerated freefall course to begin their skydiving journey can find their nearest "dropzone" on the NZPF website.
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