This Year’s Elite:International Skydiving Hall of Fame Class of 2025
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Sunday, July 6, 2025
From November 6-8, Jump Florida Skydiving in Lake Wales will host the 16th International Skydiving Hall of Fame Celebration, an annual fundraiser expected to draw more than 350 guests and raise more than $100,000 for the International Skydiving Museum. As at past celebrations, the museum has planned several activities, including fun jumping all weekend, a sport accuracy demo, flag skydives representing the Hall of Fame members’ nations and a traditional 10-way speed star competition. The event will also include the always popular “fireside chats”—skydiving-history forums hosted by the sport’s luminaries—one of which will feature actor Marvin J. McIntyre (Truman Sparks from the film “Fandango”).
Additional information about attending the International Skydiving Hall of Fame Celebration is available at skydivingmuseum.org Following three days of skydiving activities, the International Skydiving Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take center stage the evening of Saturday, November 8, at the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate, about 30 miles from the DZ. There, the museum will continue the ritual of recognizing the legends, leaders and pioneers of our sport by induction into the Hall of Fame, as well as with three other significant awards: the Path of Excellence, Pioneers of Excellence and Trustees’ Awards.
Norman Kent Productions’ project “From Wings Came Flight” will receive the 2025 Path of Excellence Award, “for significant contributions of enduring high value to the world of skydiving made in the 1980s and after.” The Pioneers of Excellence Award for “significant contributions of enduring high value to the world of skydiving made in the 1970s and before,” goes to the 1975 United States Freefall Exhibition Team. The recipient of the Trustees’ Award for “voluntary contribution of services or making other gestures of goodwill to the International Skydiving Museum in furtherance of its principles and objectives” is Skydive Perris and the Conatser Family.
The nine incoming members of the 16th Hall of Fame class bring this exclusive group to a total of 117 outstanding representatives of sport parachuting. One member of the class of 2025 is from New Zealand; the remainder are from the U.S. Each met the criteria for admission to the Hall of Fame, which is specifically defined as significant achievements in three at least three of the following categories: leadership; aviation; sport promotion; competition and judging; innovation; government relations; photography and videography; design, invention or manufacturing; and philanthropy.
The newest members of the Hall of Fame, in alphabetical order, are:
Ken Coleman USA
Ken Coleman was a multifaceted skydiver who excelled as a competitor, DZ operator, instructor and innovator. His team, the Rainbow Flyers, took gold in 4-way relative work (now known as formation skydiving) in the 1974, 1975 and 1976 USPA Nationals and at the very first world championships of 4-way in 1975. In 1977, he assumed the operation of the DeLand Parachute Center in Florida, where he worked on a new harness-hold training technique known as “accelerated freefall.” He, along with fellow 2025 Hall of Fame inductee Gary Dupuis and others, spent the following years expanding on the concept. He and Dupuis also worked on the concept that would become the tandem method, and as production manager at Strong Enterprises, Coleman supplied much of the specialized equipment needed for the experimental jumps.
Coleman was the only skydiver to receive a waiver from USPA to train AFF instructional staff and develop a certification process for the method, and in 1979, he made and supervised a series of harness-hold jumps with students. Sadly, Coleman died in a ballooning accident before the AFF method saw full USPA adoption, but others took on the responsibility of seeing the AFF program through to fruition. USPA awarded Coleman its Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously in 1991.
Lyle Cameron USA
From the late 1950s to the mid 1960s, Cameron was arguably the world’s best-known skydiver. As one of the pioneers of freefall photography, he shot in-air footage for the popular TV series “Ripcord” and was a stunt jumper in many of the skydiving scenes. The series lasted three years and was widely popular among skydivers in the U.S. It later went into syndication and was available for viewing in a number of foreign countries.
As an editor and publisher, Cameron ran Sky Diver magazine, at the time the most widely read U.S. publication for jumpers besides Parachutist. He wrote countless articles on club events and technical articles on judging, freefall photography, competition and new canopy innovations.
Along with Tony Lemus, Cameron opened a parachuting school in Elsinore, California. He was an early developer of standards in competition judging on the national and international level, and was the U.S. judge at several international locales, including the Golden Sands in Bulgaria and the French Nationals in 1966 and the British Nationals and the Adriatic Cup in 1967.
Jim Cowan USA
Cowan is uniquely qualified to be inducted into this year’s Hall of Fame class thanks to his contributions in several areas. With more than 25,000 skydives (and still active), he has been a packer, rigger, instructor, record holder and exhibition jumper who has mentored others along the way. During his career, he has trained more than 25,000 skydivers. Cowan also has been a drop zone owner, business manager and military instructor.
He is remarkably philanthropic, having generously provided more than 1,000 free seminars to sport and military organizations around the world and running a YouTube channel for jumpers that offers free advice on life-threatening situations. As co-owner of Quantum Leap Skydiving, he provided countless free tandem jumps for teachers, first responders and other deserving community members. Cowan has been a freefall instructor and rigger at Navy freefall parachutist courses and interim safety officer for the U.S. Navy Leap Frogs Parachute Team. As a member of the Quantum Leap and Clean Air canopy formation teams, he has amassed 25 national and four world gold medals and set nine world records.
Cliff Dobson USA
With 9,967 jumps (and counting) during a career spanning 63 years, Dobson has been a competitor, USPA Safety and Training Advisor and instructor. He has been a rigger since 1969 and the owner of Skydive Tampa in Florida for 35 years. His father was his first-jump pilot in 1962, and nearly all of his family members have taken to the skies at least once, and most are active skydivers. (His son, Cliff, has more than 7,100 jumps, and his daughter, Michelle, has more than 4,000.) Recently, his two grandsons recorded their first skydives.
Dobson was a member of USPA’s first AFF certification class in DeLand, Florida, and in the first class of tandem instructors certified by Strong Enterprises. Dobson was the tandem instructor when Prince Abdullah of Jordan (now King Abdullah) made a jump. He has made more than 1,800 jumps as an AFF instructor and some 2,600 as a tandem instructor. When he moved to Florida from the Midwest, he joined the Budweiser Skydiving Demonstration Team and was team captain for 10 years.
His competition career included reaching the highest levels in several disciplines. Dobson has earned numerous medals in canopy formation at the USPA Nationals, was a member of nine U.S. Parachute Teams and won the overall canopy formation championship eight times. He has also medaled in 4-way formation skydiving and accuracy at the USPA Nationals. In total, he holds 38 world and U.S. records, one Puerto Rican record and three Chinese records. He is a member of the Parachutists Over Phorty Society and its subgroups: Skydivers Over Sixty, Jumpers Over Seventy and Jumpers Over Eighty.
Gary “Dupy” Dupuis USA
Dupuis began his skydiving journey at the age of 15 with the renowned Falling Angels Skydiving Club in DeLand, Florida. As a teenager, Gary was instrumental in maintaining the club, which later evolved into the DeLand Sport Parachute Center.
In 1966, Dupuis constructed the first tandem skydiving rig using a Para-Commander as the main parachute, laying the groundwork for tandem skydiving as a training method. By 1971, as a commercial-rated jump pilot and FAA Master Rigger, he acquired the famed “Mr. Douglas” DC-3 aircraft. This initiative attracted numerous skydiving enthusiasts and professionals to DeLand.
Dupuis’ commitment to advancing skydiving safety and training is evident in his development of the first chest-mount reserve pilot chute, significantly enhancing parachute deployment reliability. He also co-developed the foundational concepts of the accelerated freefall (AFF) program, officially adopted by the United States Parachute Association in 1981, which has since become a global standard in skydiving instruction.
His extensive expertise is reflected in his numerous FAA certifications, including Master Parachute Rigger, Designated Parachute Rigger Examiner and commercial pilot ratings spanning single and multi-engine airplanes (land and sea), rotorcraft and DC-3 aircraft; Airframe & Power Mechanic with Inspection Authorization and Maintenance Designated Airworthiness Representative. Dupuis served as chief pilot for major events such as the USPA Nationals and the Z-Hills Turkey Meet.
Throughout his illustrious career, Gary’s unwavering dedication to skydiving safety, innovation and mentorship has left an indelible mark on the sport. His pioneering efforts have shaped modern skydiving training methodologies, and his legacy continues to inspire and influence the global skydiving community.
Matt “Rook” Nelson USA
First hurled out of an airplane at only four years old, Nelson has since logged more than 26,000 skydives, 400 BASE jumps and 1,000 hours of tunnel time. Nelson is arguably the most decorated skydiver in the vertical events (freefly, freestyle and 4-way vertical formation skydiving), as well as a major innovator in the discipline. A 13-time world gold medalist, he has won 18 national championships. Along with his freefly team, Alchemy, and VFS team, SDC Core, Nelson invented moves and techniques that others later adapted. As a co-organizer of eight head-down world records, Nelson also created techniques still used in that discipline.
Nelson is the owner of Skydive Chicago, a resort-like drop zone that has hosted several high-profile events including world records, USPA National Championships and Fédération Aéronautique Internationale Mondial World Parachuting Championships. Skydive Chicago also hosts SDC Summerfest, currently the world’s largest boogie. Under Nelson’s management, the drop zone has sponsored world-class competitive teams in several disciplines.
An avid pilot with more than 5,000 hours of flying time with type ratings in multiple aircraft, he owns Eagle Eye Transport, which leases its extensive fleet of aircraft to skydiving operations, as well as the U.S. government.
Tom Piras USA
Well known for his charisma and larger-than-life personality, Piras epitomized achievement in formation skydiving and professional coaching. His team won the national championship of 4-way formation skydiving four times, and he was team captain of the DeLand Air Bears 4-way team that took gold at the world championships in Yugoslavia in 1985. Piras was also co-organizer (with Guy Manos) of the landmark 100-way world record in 1986.
The innovative techniques he developed for all sizes of formation skydives made him a sought-after coach. Piras’ early achievement was coaching the French Tag team, which later prompted him to design a formal training program. Piras developed a series of programs and videos—starting with Skydive 101—that he disseminated through Skydive University, an organization he founded with Rob Laidlaw. His training techniques helped numerous jumpers—including several future world champions— learn new methods and hone their skills, enabling them to reach remarkable levels of performance. Simply put, Piras legitimized professional coaching.
Wendy Smith New Zealand
Smith, a top freefall photographer and cinematographer, has made more than 22,800 skydives in her more than 30 years of documenting the sport. She is an Emmy award winner and holds 10 Fédération Aéronautique Internationale World Records, two European records and three Guinness World Records. She also filmed six large-formation world records, including the 200-, 300-, 357-, and 400-way skydives. Along with Patrick Passe, she published the photographic book “Eyes in the Sky.”
Smith is the founder and chief instructor of the Freefly Kiwi School of Bodyflight, and has been instrumental in the advancement of freeflying as both a discipline and an art form. Through her teaching, she has helped cultivate a new generation of body flight athletes.
Smith has also served in key safety leadership positions with the New Zealand Parachute Federation. She has contributed to instructor training programs, safety protocol development and the mentorship of hundreds of aerial professionals. She is the chief safety officer for Everest Skydive, which coordinates expeditions and jumps into the Himalayas, one of the world’s most challenging environments. Her ability to blend high-level athletic performance and cinematic storytelling has elevated the perception and professionalism of skydiving worldwide.
Bill Wenger USA
Wenger has made more than 10,000 jumps since his first in 1971. Over the years, he has been a competitor, coach, rigger, rigger examiner, instructor, pilot, judge, meet director and team leader. A U.S. Army Golden Knight from 1974-1980, he was a member of the style and accuracy team for six years and was on the Knights’ first 8-way formation skydiving team, which took gold at the 1978 World Cup in France. In 1979, he was named the Golden Knight of the Year. He also earned individual gold in accuracy at the 1976 World Military (CISM) Championships. In all, he earned 10 world records in formation skydiving and accuracy events.
Wenger has dedicated much of his life to coaching skydivers. He was the coach of the U.S. Style and Accuracy Team that attended the 1986 world meet in Turkey, and he spent 27 years as coach of the enormously successful U.S. Air Force Academy Team, which won 19 National Collegiate Parachuting Championships during his tenure. He also led the led the U.S. Air Force Academy Demonstration Team for 18 years. Wenger has been instrumental in directing dozens of USPA competition events, both national and collegiate. He was on the organizing committee for the 1981 Fédération Aéronautique Internationale World Parachuting Championships in Zephyrhills, Florida, and the meet director for the 2016 FAI Mondial World Skydiving Championships at Skydive Chicago, Ottawa, Illinois.
Wenger was a member of the USPA Board of Directors for 12 years. In 2003, USPA awarded him with its prestigious USPA Gold Medal for Meritorious Service.
About the Author
Doug Garr, D-2791, is an author and journalist who made his first jump in 1969. He is a trustee-at-large for the International Skydiving Museum & Hall of Fame and has written every Parachutist article about the inductees since the first one 16 years ago.