From July 26-August 4, the skies over Ottawa, Illinois, blossomed with canopies during Skydive Chicago’s much-anticipated megaboogie, Summerfest. More than 800 jumpers from all corners of the world came to the drop zone resort to get on one of the nearly 700 loads during the nine-day boogie.

The name of this year’s giant boogie at Skydive Orange in Virginia—the Apocalyptic Big O Boogie—could not have been more fitting.

The 8th Fédération Aéronautique Internationale European Canopy Formation Championships and 10th FAI World Cup of Canopy Formation took place from August 15-21 at the Romanian Airclub located in the southern part of the country in the town of Strejnic Ploiești.

Skysurfing has experienced a comeback in recent years, and fortunately, the drop zones of the world are helping to keep our skies safe by not blindly allowing just anyone to grab a board and attempt it. Most DZs insist that new skysurfers receive proper guidance from those with experience … and for good reason.

So, late in the fall of 2014, you watched Alan Eustace get tugged 25 miles into the stratosphere by a balloon that for all the world looked like a big, white map pin.