SPRING BOOGIE

Great boogie organisers are not afraid of great challenges. They are even necessary to give momentum to the event. Ready to start, there was Joël Cruciani and the Espace Boogie team, Nicolas Gillet and the Boogie Performance team, Didier Boignon and his will to set a new record of France (or French record) for the largest formation. The crazy idea of the latter was welcomed with delight by the other two willing to organise a good boogie. The more, the merrier... especially for a boogie.

Outsiders may have seen in this a big commercial operation conducted by a triumvirate. Don't be mislead, the three acted out of pure passion. Love of skydiving, and nothing else, was driving the trio during the boogie. The desire to satisfy the participants reigned, often paid for by a couple of white hair. Depending on his skills, everyone of them helped us live our passion.

Let us start with Joël Cruciani, for he is the most imposing: "I cannot imagine a boogie that is not a party", says he, "and if we can get altitude, it is even better. What matters is the pleasure of freefall whatever the way, and the party around that from 8 am until late in the evening for the night birds. This is the recipe for a real boogie, including of course some other necessary ingredients, such as load organising, staff, safety and the reunion of everybody's skills. It is in these conditions that a boogie has a soul and becomes warm. I like to arrive on an empty field and put up every piece. It is too often the case that dropzones sell boogies that are boogies only by name. A plane carrying 20 skydivers does not transform a day at the DZ into a boogie. There is so much more to do to create the atmosphere that skydivers like to find in a good boogie. The Espace Boogie tries to win this challenge for each boogie." And thus, this spring meeting looked like a mini August-boogie in Vichy. Around the well-known target, there were the packing area which became more and more lively after each landing, the Parachutes de France and Parafun tents, the camping where friends gathered their tents and vans and of course the "boogie club" with its bar, its music exfiltrating around and the projection of everyday jumps edited quickly and with a lot of talent by Stéphane Cruciani, master of ceremony for the day and more importantly for the night.

The indispensable Boogie Performance team joined Espace. Of course, their two Casa and their Super Skyvan contributed to the success of the event. But the work of Nicolas Gillet, at the manifest, helped by the efficient Franck and Marco, was also appreciated. A thank you also for Béatrice and Sylvie for their presence at the reception, at the manifest or at the bar. This whole fine team managed to work, smile, have fun and participate to the atmosphere of until late in the evening. The reason why Espace Boogie and Boogie Performance displayed their huge infrastructure and planes for this spring boogie, was Didier Boignon's project and his challenge of gathering 120 French skydivers in order to set a new record of France (or French record) for the largest formation in freefall (see below). The difficulty of the challenge was doubled by the choice of a technically difficult formation : a 100-way diamond representing the French blue-white-red flag thanks to the colours of the suits. Didier Boignon wanted everybody to have a chance to be in the record. There had been no preselection and anyone who thought he/she could do it was welcomed. Didier only asked people on his list to come with a suit of a given colour. Jeff Ronzevalle helped Didier in this adventure, especially with the paperwork and planes. The base, in white suits, began training on Saturday 16th, first day of the boogie. The other participants could integrate organised groups in relative work. Free flyers were spoiled since Charles Bryan (ex Free Fly Clown) organised every kind of jumps for any level, with the assistance of Sébastien Mérian and also of Stéphane Fardel and Sylvain Turina, freeflying instructors in Ampuriabrava (Spain). Olivier Jean-Baptiste was there of course to take care of his group of faithful sit-flyers. Whatever their way to express themselves in the sky, everybody had more or less an eye on the jumps of the 100-way diamond base. Didier had difficult week end and beginning of the week. Indeed, the 20-way base was really neither solid nor fast: the suits were too big, the body positions were not tonic enough, the arms were stretched, it was not falling fast and there were too many people too often under the formation. It was worrying and the white had to get really better if there was to be 80 people more on the formation. Only a few jumps were acceptable.

Apart from the base purgatory, people enjoyed themselves in free fly, skysurfing, sit-flying and relative work. For his first Vichy boogie as a load organiser in relative work, Mike Brooke was unanimously recognised as an excellent one. He did not face an easy task since he had to organise a group of 12 to 20 skydivers with little experience. Despite the different skills, he obtained nice jumps from the people in his group. He created the perfect group for perfectible beginners who want to avoid disappointing jumps. Mike will be asked for at the next boogie in Vichy. Free flyers, sit-flyers and skysurfers were having fun. Several mixed jumps were organised with every discipline represented and for the first time with belly jumpers. Everyday at sunset, Sébastien Mérian proposed and organised tracking jumps where about 20 "trackers" on their belly tried to follow him tracking on his back. This is no ordinary vision and trackers loved to watch his video and Stéphane Fardel's, who filmed the action in a smooth and wide barrel roll around the trackers. On his back, Seb would move in the sky over the runway of Vichy. The bee-like group of trackers followed at his feet. The first ones stayed close during the whole jump, the last ones were farther away. The group would travel a good distance before breaking off in different directions for the opening. Everyone on the ground watched the sky in order not to miss the show. With his sunset load, Seb created everyday a game enjoyed every evening by free flyers and RW jumpers. 40 trackers followed him on one of these jumps. They dropped off the two Casa flying in formation.

On Tuesday, the fourth day of boogie, Didier had asked the less experienced candidates for the diamond to come and train. Droppings were made from the three Boogie Performance planes. The formation size increased from 40 to 60 but it still looked as fragile and vulnerable as before. The same problems were encountered, leaving too many people outside or under the formation. Some young skydivers seemed happy with two 60-way jumps but the construction was difficult and with only fifty or so in the formation. The experienced people then knew it : this quality of flight would not be sufficient for the completion of the large diamond. Nevertheless, Didier decided to launch 100-ways. Why not see what will happen and besides all last arriving skydivers were experienced. With some luck, it could be possible.... But luck had decided to stay away from that. Only the technical value of the participants mattered. Starting Thursday 21st, jumps were made from 5000 metres with oxygen on board. A Danish Skyvan and the one from Lapalisse (a DZ near Vichy) joined the three Boogie Performance planes. Three fruitless tries including two big failures brought down the moral of the troops. Too many people with too little experience were in the diamond. On the ground, there was almost no reserve group. Old dogs were grumbling. The positive vibe had disappeared. Boignon did not have many aces to win this game. Getting worried, he made an important move and changed the formation. The following tries were to realise a classical, round 108-way.

The ones who came for the diamond were disappointed but at the same time they realised that Didier's decision was the only chance to set a record. A base with a 10-way star and clusters was now the heart of the new formation. Two tries were enough to see that this base is still too fragile. Didier then used his last ammunition and reinforced the base which was to become a 8-way star. The formation remained nice and symmetrical. The colours of the suits were still emblematic of our flag. But attending people would have to make do and unforgivable errors would have to be forgiven, since there was nobody left on the bench. The new base made things better and at the eighth try, a 107-way, the formation was completed and flew perfectly for 5 seconds. Only one bad grip corrected 1.24 second away from the break-off altitude did not allow the judges to accept the record. The formation must be held for 3 seconds. The verdict gave the growing hope after the jump a hard blow. Too bad, it was really flying well, at the same level and without tension. 107 French shared for the first time the same big jump all together. It will remain a good memory but this is not what we came for.
The ninth try, down to a 106-way, was really not encouraging. The tenth would have needed a little help from fortune: two skydivers interfered and went under, another one was flying his reserve at 5 000 metres due to an unwanted opening just after exit. Everybody had believed this was it but there was nothing to celebrate on this Saturday evening just before sunset. There was only one try left on Sunday morning before some would start to leave. Before that, there was a party: this was the last night of this boogie which became unforgettable the following day.

Sunday 8.30 am : the party-goers were reasonable. 106 people really had the will to take this last chance. The sky was blue, Didier was quiet. He was dreaming of joy but was also ready for the disappointment. For the last time, he lead his big group to the boarding area. One last briefing in front of the five planes, one last motivation... Everyone knew what he was to do, but everyone had to do it together and at this very moment!
This last jump was similar to the eighth try. It looked like a record. Only one blue line had trouble to end its construction. For the last seconds before the break, people could see each other through a levelled formation, they exchanged glances, smiled shyly and wondered. Half an hour later, the jump was judged as a national record held for 3.24 seconds, clearly and without a doubt. Didier was held in triumph. He dreamt of the 100-way diamond which would have been a French record but would have been impossible to validate. He won a record of France which should be recognised by the French parachutist federation (FFP). But his big victory is to have achieved this with hardly any ace in his hands, to have believed without reserve in all the participants. He managed to unite in the same French formation experienced RW jumpers and many young skydivers for whom this record will remain the first great memory of their passion.

Right now, the formation with 106 skydivers organised by Didier Boignon is not officially a record. The organiser must now put together his claim and present it to the French parachutist federation (FFP) which is the only one to decide if it is a record. If the performance is officially recognised by the FFP, the 106-way in Vichy will be a record of France (or national record). The women 100-way realised at Le Luc in August 92 was a two-in-one jump since it was first validated by the FAI as a world record, then recognised as a record of France by the FFP. Indeed, FFP has a derogation which allowed for the validation of the event as a record of France, even if all participants were not French. However, the formation was of course to be completed over the French territory and participants at least had to have the FAI license.
Didier Boignon's desire was to realise a 100-way diamond with French skydivers which could not have been a new record of France. He then named his project French record, knowing that there is nothing official in this title and that it would not be considered as a record. Didier Boignon gave up the diamond for an easier formation which was only interesting if it contained more than 100 people in order to break the former national record.

Blue
Auvray Pierre, Boderlique Christophe, Bohat Jérome, Boy Christophe, Bouquet Laurent, Brooke Mike, Chalot Fleur, Chatard Fabienne, Ciekala Martin, Colas Bernard, Colé Roland, De Mary Luc, Defourneaux Gilles, Dodet Béatrice, Elliautou Laurence, Gonzales Martial, Hamouchi William, Hingant Sophie, Huet Philippe, Jardel Frantz, Lebreton Richard, Leguerne Yannick, Moal Sandrine, Nansot Loïc, Negrié Yves, Passe Bruno, Petit Arnaud, Pigeon Cyrille, Planque Christian, Richin Philippe, Ripoche Jean-François, Robin Jean-Marc, Rouyer Marianne, Stieglitz Paul-Alain, Turina Sylvain, Vandaele Corinne, Vazille Franck.

White
Barral Roland, Bertin Alain, Boignon Didier, Boignon Catherine, Bron Laurent, Burgaud François, Carlier Pierre-Albert, Champion Franck, Courtin Thierry, D'Aloia Sandro, Demule Hervé, Eugène Pierre-Yves, Garangeat Jean-Claude, Hebert Arnaud, Jurvillier Eric, Lougrat Michel, Muller Olivier, Nehls Erich, Plassard Eric, Poulhe Pierre, Pozzo di Borgo Alexandre, Rhein Olivier, Rigolet Dominique, Ronzevalle Jeff, Rouyer Franck, Roy Jean-Jacques, Saget Patrick, Terroni Gilles ,Thiers Henri, Vejux Alain, Vigneau Philippe, Wack Laurent.

Red
Avezou Olivier, Bergouignan Patrick, Burnel Alain, Burnel Corinne, Colombi François, Decombe Pascal, Dervout Bruno, Diaz Jean-Luc, Diennet Hervé, Drevet Hubert, Gallet Catherine, Glasson Pierre, Godard Robert, Gory Annick, Gramaglia Jean-Georges, Gravillon Sylvain, Grody Jean, Hugonnard Jérôme, Lenoir Pascal, Lenouy Franck, Levon Olivier, Mattoni Stéphane, Ollivier Gaëlle, Passe Patrick, Pichon Catherine, Poissonnier Astrid, Poulhe Marie-Anne, Pouliquen François, Quelennec Gislaine, Ribet Nathalie, Robin Michel, Simon Christine, Simon Jean-Paul, Simon Maryvonne, Simonet Gilles, Vailong Hubert, Venier Vincent.

The judges

Roger Duflot, Catherine Boignon, Monique Lenotte.

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Warning: the English translations in this text may not all be correct. Thanks for your comprehension and please address any comment to me Jean-Francois RIPOCHE.