Perris Helps Jumpers Learn the Big-Way Basics
Above: Participants build a formation, putting their new skills into action. Photo by Kristian Caulder.
Skydive Perris in California hosted 28 jumpers on June 8 for the seventh edition of Big-Way Basics. David Schrager, captain of the Skydive Perris Load Organizers, created Big-Way Basics in the fall of 2022, and Christy Frikken of Fury Coaching co-organizes it. “Throughout the years, we noticed there was a giant gap between weekend fun jumps and world-class big-way events. Big-Way Basics fills that gap! It’s perfect for those who are getting into big-ways for the first time and for those who want to polish and improve their skills. I’m so happy with how this event turned out! Learning was occurring right from the first jump!” Frikken explained.
Schrager and Frikken have a collective 35 years of big-way experience, and other skilled Perris formation skydiving organizers often support this event, so newer jumpers receive an immense amount of good information and mentorship throughout the day.
Big-Way Basics is a full day of instruction in the fundamentals of large-formation skydiving with the goal of building safer, smarter skydivers and preparing them for more advanced big-way events such as those organized by Perris Performance Plus (P3) and All-American Big-Ways. Skydive Perris now hosts this as a tri-annual event, thanks to growing enthusiasm and participation. The many skydivers who were learning to enter the stadium just a year or two ago and are now getting to their slots on 50- to 100-way formations prove how successful this crash-course in “all things big-way” is.
Big-Way Basics begins with a short meet and greet, a general safety briefing and then dives right into a period of extensive ground instruction where organizers introduce jumpers to all of the best practices for a successful big-way event. In a relaxed, Q-and-A style environment featuring thoughtful photo and video presentations, participants have an opportunity to learn and ask questions about everything from body-flight techniques and mental preparation to proper suit selection, weight belts and other equipment considerations. The organizers fully prepare the jumpers to report to their first dirt dive with confidence before moving on to the skydiving portion of the event.
Advanced big-way events demand commitment to the team dynamic where little things like punctuality, a good attitude and attention to detail are extremely important. Big-Way Basics is structured to mimic larger big-way events, where the team will make four jumps over the course of the day with one-hour calls between loads ... just enough time to pack, debrief and walk the next dive. The event challenges jumpers to develop good time-management skills, but they get to do so in a friendly and forgiving atmosphere. Everyone has been late to a dirt-dive or boarded the wrong aircraft or forgotten their helmet, and Big-Way Basics is an event where jumpers get to sharpen their ground game without receiving harsh judgement from others.
Cut from the ground and pasted to the sky, the organizers expertly teach and evaluate the essentials of a successful big-way skydive: diving and floating exits, identifying the base, a stadium approach, identifying your quadrant, flying on your radial and then docking quietly.
Frikken said, “Breaking off in stages, tracking in groups, thinking ahead when navigating through canopy traffic ... at an event like Big-Way Basics, these skills are broken down and practiced in a safe and less-intimidating environment.”
The Big-Way Basics crew poses before a formation jump. Photo by Kristian Caulder.
Many jumpers who attend Big-Way Basics will experience the thrill of multiple aircraft formation loads for the first time. This new and challenging experience adds a layer of excitement to each skydive while helping participants develop a heightened level of awareness.
Schrager said, “Learning to exit from a trail aircraft, using line of flight to identify your radial, then flying to your quadrant and getting to your slot requires skills that can only be learned when doing big-way formations from multiple aircraft.”
Skydive Perris will host the next event on November 15. Jumpers can find registration details at furycoaching.com/events and information and updates by following @perris.organizers on Facebook and Instagram.
Kristian Caulder D-27107
Indio, California