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The Xenia Revival
by Thomas Kerler
In mid-1979, ten determined jumpers set their goal to top the current canopy formation world record of a 9-stack. Within this group were the legendary Xenia-based skydiving exhibition team, the Falling Angels: Karen Dean, Nancy Kurlin, Suzanne Sherer and Patt Valley. The four women had become a sure crowd pleaser at air shows in the Midwest. The 10-stack completed, setting the new world record for canopy formation. Dean piloted the stack, followed by Don Bucklin, Kurlin, Valley, Brian Barrett, Jim Fangmeyer, Jayne Marchant, Roger Gardner, Chris Milliken and Scott Haslam. A quarter century after those first big stacks, canopy formation returned to Xenia. This year's boogie in Xenia was dedicated to the memory of Valley, who had passed away two months earlier. On the morning of May 24, 2003, a group of canopy formation enthusiasts from all over the eastern United States, along with two from California and Argentina, gathered for a Memorial Day weekend camp at the same drop zone in Xenia. Camp organizers Chris Gay and David Richardson helped them to build a 16-way diamond and break the unofficial state record that had stood since 1979. Gay and Richardson used the Xenia event as the kickoff for a series of practice and tryout camps they've scheduled throughout this year to lead up to world record attempts in Lake Wales, Florida, this November.
After the long gap of 24 years between building the biggest canopy formations in the state, this camp helped revive enthusiasm for canopy formation jumping. It sure put a lot of smiles on many faces! Participants: Annie DeKoker, Jimmy Drummond, Mike Fedak, Bob Felt, Frank Fowler, Ray Frazier, Mike Fuerno, Chris Gay, Jeni Gordon, Eduardo Guillen, Lyn Hannah, Thomas Kerler, Kurt Kerry, T. Lavonne, Frank Matrone, Craig Nadler, Luis Perez, Randy Persi, Jim Rasmussen, Bob Reger, Roger Reynolds, David Richardson, Rusty Vest, Swede Ware, Chris Warnock. |
