In recent years, the popularity of angle flying has gone from strength to strength, but where does that leave static freeflying?

Where Has Static Freefly Gone?

In recent years, the popularity of angle flying has gone from strength to strength and it is probably the most coached discipline at camps, boogies and weekends at the dropzone; this isn’t without reason! Angles are super fun, and you can’t do them in the tunnel, but where does that leave the static freefly scene, which was once a real highlight at dropzones down under?

Vertical static flying used to be one of the most sought-after disciplines for coaching, and it probably still is, but only at a beginner level in the sky, with most people now looking to tunnels for rapid progression. While this isn’t necessarily a problem, it does leave those at an intermediate level, who are financially or geographically limited when accessing a tunnel, tumbling down the hill. On top of this, there are also several people around the scene who are simply focused on wanting to do their progression in the sky and have little to no interest in tunnel flight.

So, what’s to be done? How do we close the gap between those wanting to learn and the highly advanced flyers? How do we progress our vertical scene and learn to turn some static points with our mates in the sky? These are the questions that Matthew Thomas (Maddog) and David Schlatter (Flossy) were asking themselves, and luckily for the East Coast, they’re just the blokes for the job!

Vertical Descent

Enter ‘Vertical Descent’, which debuted at Toogoolawah on the 18th and 19th of May and was an absolute ‘send fest’, for lack a better phrase. The brainchild of Maddog and Flossy, two very passionate and talented vertical flyers and Toogs local coaches, Vertical Descent was created to address the current skills gap. The design of the camp was simple: two days of six-way head down with two groups and one coach per group. The jumps were perfectly planned, averagely executed and absolutely jam packed with safety tips and progression; it couldn’t have been any better!

This event really showcased the hunger that still exists for vertical static flying in Australia and how important events like this are to get intermediate flyers to a level where they can fly well and fly safely with their friends and continue progressing. “This event was literally a dream come true for me and some of the most fun jumps I’ve had. It was so great to have an opportunity to fly in a group like that!” said Leah Smith after the event. This was a sentiment shared by all participants at the conclusion of the weekend and they were left simply wanting more.

Future Events

Vertical Descent is the kind of event that is shining the light for the future of the static freefly scene in Australia, which is something to cheer about. Maddog and Flossy did an incredible job of organising a fantastic event with the sponsorship of the South Queensland Parachute Council (SQPC), the Toogoolawah Skydivers Club (TSC) and of course, Skydive Ramblers. 'Vertical Descent 2' successfully took place at the end of June and there will be more to come from these two, so keep your eyes peeled to sign up to their next event and let’s get vertical!

Check out the 'Vertical Descent' Facebook Page for more information on upcoming events.

About The Author

Shelby du Moulin is a Tandem/AFF Instructor and a keen sports jumper at Skydive Ramblers, Toogoolawah.

Thanks to Shelby for her contribution to this article.

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[Photo Sources: Matthew Smith]