United States Parachute Association Celebrates Top Skydiving Achievements of 2025

FREDERICKSBURG, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As 2025 draws to an end, the United States Parachute Association (USPA) is proudly celebrating some of the biggest skydiving stories and achievements from the year. From an 86-year-old skydiver achieving 1,000 jumps and earning her USPA Gold Wings, to setting new world records, to skydivers completing 26,718 skydives on World Skydiving Day, 2025 was full of unforgettable moments in the esteemed high-flying sport.

“This has marked one of the most significant and impressive years for achievements in skydiving, with skydivers showcasing their skills, setting records, and advancing the sport at world-class drop zones across the United States,” said USPA Executive Director Albert Berchtold. “We continue to see skydivers push the limits of what some may think is possible, and we’re so proud of the many accomplishments in the sport this year.”

Milestone moments in the sport of skydiving this year include:

1. One hundred four (104) skydivers from 20 countries came together at Jump Florida Skydiving to break the Canopy Formation World Record. The previous record was set in 2007. Nearly 18 years later to the day, the elite team reached its new goal of 104 athletes, beating the previous record. The skydivers simultaneously jumped out of seven planes to meet mid-air and form a diamond pattern, successfully marking a new world record.
2. Four thousand eighty-eight (4,088) people received training and fulfilled the requirements for their USPA A License, the first solo skydiving license issued by USPA, allowing skydivers to jump without supervision and pack their own parachute. To earn an A License, skydivers must complete a minimum of 25 jumps, fulfill all requirements on the USPA A-License Proficiency Card, and pass the USPA A-License written and oral exams.
3. Eighty six (86) year-old skydiver Kim Knor completed her 1,000th jump and earned the prestigious USPA Gold Wings, a feat few ever achieve. Her journey started in 1959, when she forged her parents’ signatures to make her first jump. In the decades since, Knor has jumped at more than 90 drop zones across the country. Her story made national headlines, including PEOPLE, National Geographic, The Jennifer Hudson Show, NewsNation, Sports Illustrated, and Parade Magazine.
4. Over 500 skydivers from across the U.S. competed at the 2025 USPA National Championships. This is the premier competitive skydiving event in the U.S and the selection event for the U.S. Parachute Teams, which will represent the country in the 2026 international championships. Competitions were hosted at Skydive Elsinore in Southern California and Skydive Arizona in Eloy, Arizona. Elite athletes pushed the limits of human flight in multiple skydiving disciplines. Events included the high-speed precision of canopy piloting, breathtaking wingsuit flying, intricate canopy formations, and the artistry of freefall formation performance.
5. Husband-and-wife skydivers Sven Jseppi and Heather McLay successfully set a new Guinness World Record for Most Tandem Skydives in 24 Hours, completing 108 jumps together at Skydive OBX. The previous record of 105 tandem skydives was set in 2011. Fourteen years later, after nearly 16 consecutive hours of skydiving, Jseppi and McLay achieved their 108th jump just before sunset over the Outer Banks in North Carolina.
6. One hundred seventy four (174) elite skydivers from over 25 countries successfully set a new head-down world record at Skydive Chicago, flying vertically in freefall to build a massive, intricate formation. The previous record, a 164-person head-down formation, was set in 2015. The team exited nine aircraft at 19,000 feet and had just 60 seconds to find their slots, lock hands, and hold the formation before breaking apart to deploy 174 parachutes in unison.
7. The first U.S. all-female team to set a world record in acrobatic wingsuit flying, linking 12 controlled holds in freefall during the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) World Cup of Wingsuit Flying in the Czech Republic. The record, recognized in the “Most Grips, All-Female Team” category, was accomplished by Elizabeth Brott, Laurel Hargis, and Becca Jordan.
8. On the second annual World Skydiving Day, 26,718 skydives were completed and officially reported across the globe. With first-time jumpers and experienced skydivers alike, they celebrated the thrill of the sport. Skydivers around the world also made formations in the shape of the number two in the sky to celebrate the second annual event.
9. Sebastian Alvarez Orellana shattered three wingsuit world records in speed, distance of flight, and time of flight: a top speed of 550 km/h (342 mph); distance of flight of 53.45 km (33.22 miles); and total flight time of 11 minutes, 1 second. This spectacular event took place at USPA Group Member drop zone, West Tennessee Skydiving, in what was named the “Red Bull Starman Mission.”
10. The U.S. Parachute Team brought home six gold medals, six silver medals, four bronze medals, and three new world records after competing in the FAI World Cups for speed, formation skydiving, canopy piloting, wingsuit flying, and artistic skydiving. The U.S. is actively preparing for these events in 2026 by selecting teams and organizing trials.

To learn more about any or all of these amazing accomplishments or milestones in the sport of skydiving contact Kyle Jeanor, [e-mail].

About USPA

Founded in 1946, the United States Parachute Association (USPA) is a nonprofit association dedicated to the promotion of safe skydiving nationwide, establishing strict safety standards, training policies and programs at more than 200 USPA-affiliated skydiving schools and centers throughout the United States. Each year, USPA’s 41,000-plus members and hundreds of thousands of first-timers make roughly 3.65 million jumps in the U.S. USPA represents skydivers before all levels of government, the public and the aviation industry and sanctions national skydiving competitions and records. For more information on making a first jump or to find a skydiving center near you, visit www.uspa.org or call 1.800.371.USPA.