In the world of skydiving, one of the most difficult formations to nail is the head-up formation. With feet down toward the earth, a jumper gives way to gravity, descending up to 160 mph. Balance is difficult. It’s a feat for any skydiver to pull off, but when 84 skydivers do so at once, records are broken.
That’s exactly what happened in July 2019 above a patchwork of fields outside Chicago, when skydivers from 17 countries set a Head Up World Record. The event, led by professional skydivers Amy Chmelecki and Sara Curtis, set a new bar for the sport, as well as trained a spotlight on women gaining ground in a sport where they have historically been underrepresented.
