Camp participants come close to a completion on a big-way attempt.

You love big-ways and know most of the techniques, but you don't know how to get into the top events. Kate Cooper, Tony Domenico and Dan Brodsky-Chenfeld feel they have come up with the answer—a big-way camp. The powerhouse big-way trio organized their first camp five years ago. Brodsky-Chenfeld says there wasn't a place for competent skydivers to learn the skills of large formation skydiving, but Cooper feels they have "unlocked the secret society a bit by making the basic steps to doing big-ways safely and confidently available and trainable."

The latest camp began Thursday, October 28, at Perris Valley Skydiving in California with 74 participants from ten countries and 16 states. The camp also included two new additions: Larry Henderson, who has served as a plane captain at big-way events for the past four years, joined the organizers, and participants could practice in the drop zone's vertical wind tunnel.

Since the majority of the landing areas were under water or a sea of mud the first day, the coaches gave impromptu seminars and scheduled more tunnel time. By afternoon, the ground had dried enough for some fun loads

The next day, morning fog lifted in time for each camper to make six jumps. By day four, Skydive Elsinore DZO Karl Gulledge brought one of his Twin Otters to join the three Twin Otters at Perris for four 72-way four-plane formation loads from 16,000 feet to practice big-way flying techniques.

The campers were effusive about their personal successes. David Thom e-mailed the coaches after the camp to thank them again for "rejuvenating my skydiving life." Says Cooper, "These camps are fun for us, the coaches. It is wonderful seeing the skill level increase, not only inside one camp but from camp to camp."

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