Not surprisingly, there is a lot of interest in the dual-team concept for this year’s Kaleidoscope Dives.

Participants:  Currently, we have just over 200 hot skydivers registered for this event – most of whom are previous Kaleidoscope Divers or are on World Team.  Please see the current roster of all Kaleidoscope Divers on the SkyQuest website: (http://www.skyquestflorida.com/2009_EventsKaleidoscope.html).  We have 25 nationalities.

Dives:  Four dive sequences have been designed by BJ and drawn to perfection by Rags Raghanti.  These dive sequences are also on the SkyQuest website, presented as a slide show.  On the first two dives, we will be following a World Team theme.  Dive 2 will be a full-sized cross-section of the 500-way design, including the 60-way base (58) and two full whacker sectors.  The last two dives should be a bit more challenging, and a whole lot of fun.

Video Review:  As a special treat, Henny Wiggers, Camera Team Director for World Team, is providing awesome state-of-the-art media players for this year’s event.  Adding to the hi-tech treat, SkyQuest is providing large HD TVs to take full advantage of the HD images and special media players.

We will use three video review stations and conduct most of our video reviews by aircraft teams.  When time permits, such as at the end of the day, 100 of us, or all 200 can review each other’s dives on a mega-sized HD TV.

Dividing the Teams:  Larry and BJ are currently picking teams, and will soon post the 100-way team rosters on the SkyQuest website.  Actually, they are collaborating to build two equally skilled teams to maximize our success in the sky.  Within each 100-way team, many of the slots will be changed as we move from dive to dive.

DZ Preparations:  Skydive DeLand is working diligently to accommodate 200 enthusiastic skydivers.  Extra tents, video review stations, toilets, etc. are being provided.  Breakfast buffets will be available each morning, and a variety of great food and wholesome snacks will be available for quick mid-day eating.

Skydiving Preparations:  Please bring your “A Game” to Deland.  We all need to have the right combination of jumpsuits, weights, gear, gloves, whatever to be able to perform in the sky in synch with everyone else.  If you haven’t jumped in a while, please take advantage of the organized dives that will be taking place on Wednesday.

Clothing Preparations:  In late November, it can be quite cold in the mornings.  Regardless of any changes to our inner-wear, we must be able to fall at the desired fall rate at all times, so please bring thin warm layers with you.

Oxygen System:  Due to the delay for World Team ’10, we will not be using bailout bottles as our primary oxygen system.  But we will have 10 systems on hand for anyone to use during the event.  We will all be using nasal cannulas, unless someone has a specific problem with this.  We will be able to disconnect our cannulas from the aircraft hose just prior to jumping.  A similar system was used at the Jump For The Cause with great success.

Good Team Players:  Although this probably doesn’t need to be said… We are going to have a lot going on with a lot of people while we are in DeLand.  Therefore, it will be important for all of us to focus our priorities on this event while we are together.  Also, we don’t want to step on any local toes while we are guests at Skydive DeLand.

Travel:  If anyone wish to share a room and/or transport during this event, please let BJ know.  Please travel safely.

We look forward to seeing all of you soon in sunny Florida!

Larry,  Kate,  Ponce,  Mike,  Solly, Tom, Lou, Pål, Patrick, Victor, BJ

History: The Kaleidoscope Dives started in 2001 as a show-element of SkyQuest.  From its inception, this fun event has attracted a stellar talent-pool of international skydivers – resulting in numerous completions of multiple-point 100-ways.  On each dive, the geometric shapes of the formations are transformed – similar to the shifting images one sees when looking through a kaleidoscope.

Organizers: BJ Worth, Kate Cooper, Larry Henderson, Roger Ponce, Mike Johnston, Solly Williams, Tom Jenkins, Lou Tommaso, Pål Bergan, Patrick Passe, and Victor Kravtsov

Event Format: Since this will be the last big-way event prior to the 252-way sequential dives in Thailand, many new World Team skydivers wish to join the 2009 Kaleidoscope Dives.  We don’t want to expand the size of the Kaleidoscope Dives themselves, but including more World Team skydivers could be fun.  So we will expand the number of participants, mix our collective talent pool as equally as possible, and jump as two teams – performing the same dive sequences.  The size of these teams will be based on maintaining a very high quality of dives.  The DZ will give our two Kaleidoscope teams top priority.

2009 Theme: Many of the 2009 Kaleidoscope Divers will be heading to the Land of Smiles in January for the first event of the new World Team project.  Therefore, several World Team elements will be incorporated into this year’s Kaleidoscope Dives as a dress rehearsal for World Team ’10.  All of the 2009 Kaleidoscope Dive Organizers are current World Team Leaders.

Dives: 16 jumps are scheduled for the 2009 event, including four different big-way dive sequences, each consisting of two or three formations with challenging transitions.  Two of the 2009 Kaleidoscope Dives will include segments of World Team’s new world record design.  The other two dives will be totally new and creative.   The 2009 Kaleidoscope Dives – designed by BJ and drawn via AutoCAD by Rags Raghanti – will soon be available on this SkyQuest 2009 Dives web page.

Event Site: Skydive DeLand – DeLand, Florida

Participation: By invitation only.  An international team of 140-200 highly skilled skydivers who want to skydive hard, and have lots of fun in the process, are being invited to participate by the Dive Organizers.  Although the Organizers wish they could introduce big-way sequential to many up-and-coming skydivers, the 2009 Kaleidoscope roster will be restricted to proven experts.

Schedule: Optional pre-event dives will take place at Skydive DeLand on Wednesday.

Thursday: 7:00 am -   8:00 am On-site registration, gear check, greeting friends
Thursday: 8:00 am -   9:00 am Technical Equipment Briefing
Thursday: 9:00 am -   5:00 pm   Dive Preparation and four jumps
Friday: 8:00 am -   5:00 pm Four jumps
Saturday: 8:00 am -   5:00 pm Five jumps
Sunday: 7:00 am -   4:30 pm Three jumps (last exit scheduled: 4:00 pm)

Aircraft: Skydive DeLand’s aircraft will consist of one Skyvan, and four Twin Otters, and be flown by Deland’s team professional pilots with extensive formation-flying skills.

Oxygen: Exit altitude is scheduled to be 18,000 feet for all dives.  Everyone will use the new World Team in-aircraft oxygen system with nasal cannulas or masks.  World Team members are expected to use the bail-out oxygen system as well, and will be available for any other participants who wish to use it.

Jumpsuits: Everyone should bring the jumpsuit(s), weights, T-shirts, gloves required to fly a variety of slots.  “Dress for Success” is not just an expression… it is an absolute must for the Kaleidoscope Dives.

Video / Stills: A world-class Camera Team will record the dives with video and stills.  The Camera Team will be led by Andrey Veselov, and include Henny Wiggers, Willy Boeykens, and other world class camera-flyers.  Video reviews will be conducted with World Team’s new digital imaging system using HDTVs.  High-quality photos of the dives will be available from each camera-flyer.

Hotels: A special SkyQuest / Kaleidoscope rate has been arranged with the DeLand Holiday Inn.  Specific information on accommodations is available on this SkyQuest Hotels web page.  Holiday Inn:  Phone: 1-386-738-5200, Fax: 1-386-734-7552.

Costs: Participant Package  $690 Guests are very welcome, at no cost.
 * Event registration fee
 * 16 jumps
 * Oxygen equipment and services
 * Video services
 * Kaleidoscope Dives T-Shirt

* Any additional jumps will cost $31.00.  If any of the 16 scheduled Kaleidoscope Dives are not made due to weather or aircraft, refunds will be $31 per jump.  If we have the weather and the time, and the agreement among the participants, we hope to be able to make more than the scheduled 16 dives.

On this web page, the full SkyQuest Refund and Cancellation Policy is available:

Registration: All participants are requested to submit their Registration Form as soon as possible.  Please send the Registration Form to BJ Worth (but not to NSL / SkyQuest).  It is preferred that the form be completed as an MS Word document and be submitted as an email attachment, but may also be printed and sent by fax or mail.  Early “On-Site” Registration will take place at Skydive DeLand on Wednesday afternoon.  The SkyQuest waiver is available on this SkyQuest Waiver webpage.

If, after committing to this event, a situation comes up that may/will prevent you from attending, please contact BJ as soon as possible, so a replacement can be made (if necessary), and so a full contingent of Kaleidoscope Skydivers can be standing tall on site at the beginning of the event.

Email, mail or fax Registration Form to:
B. J. Worth, Dive Organizer
2200 East Edgewood Drive
Whitefish, MT 59937 USA
Tel:  406-862-5484 / Fax: 406-862-9020
bj@theworldteam.com 

Payment: Payment may be made via a check or money order made out to: “National Skydiving League,” or on-line via a major credit card.  Please see this SkyQuest website for payment information.

Send Payment (if not done via website) to:
National Skydiving League
1665 Lexington Avenue Suite 104
DeLand, FL 32724
Tel: 386-801-0804
www.skyquestflorida.com
NSL@skyleague.com

More Info: The SkyQuest website will be updated for 2009 as new information becomes available. One or more additional Kaleidoscope Bulletins will be distributed before the event.

We look forward to seeing you in DeLand at the Kaleidoscope Dives 2009!

Larry,  Kate,  Ponce,  Mike,  Solly, Tom, Lou, Pål, Patrick, Victor, BJ