Project XRW

[Taz 0]

Jonathan Tagle, Jeff Nebelkopf, and Phil Peggs (video) have started jumping today for Project XRW. Tagle and Nebelkopf have been docking this morning, and are starting to dial in their relative speeds. This just in: "Tagle surfed my back for about 20 seconds" -Jeff.

Updates, etc. will be posted on the Raise the Sky blog throughout the weekend and next week.

Project Brief:

Project Extreme RW (XRW), hosted by Raise the Sky, Operation Freefall, and Skydive Moab, will explore the possibilities of how skydiving’s two fastest growing disciplines can interact in the air. A wingsuit flyer in freefall and a high-performance canopy pilot will come together for every type of interaction made possible by gravity and the skill of the athletes. Performance Designs Canopy Pilot Jonathan Tagle and Tonysuit Wingsuit Pilot Jeff Nebelkopf will work on body surfing, upside-down links, and other never-before-seen configurations.

The XRW launch will take place on the weekend of April 24th at Skydive Moab and will raise awareness of the incredible work of Operation Freefall. Practice jumps at the dropzone will be followed by exclusive footage shot against the backdrop of a red rock canyon. Miss Nevada will do a tandem jump Saturday, April 24th as part of the Operation Freefall event.

Sponsors include Sunpath, Skydive Moab, TonySuits, and Raise the Sky.

It's the Year of the Dragon.

[arai 0]

you know this is going to have to end with a multi discipline 4 way jump at some point in the future. two highly loaded canopies doing crew while "surfing" on some wingsuiters.


look forward to the video.

[Taz 0]

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two highly loaded canopies doing crew while "surfing" on some wingsuiters.

That would be awesome !

Today's footage will be on the Raise the Sky blog tonight, once they're done jumping and back at the house with internet access. Today was a warm-up day, Day 1 of a weekend that we hope to turn into a longer running project.

It's the Year of the Dragon.

[SuperGirl 0]

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Performance Designs Canopy Pilot Jonathan Tagle and Tonysuit Wingsuit Pilot Jeff Nebelkopf will work on body surfing, upside-down links, and other never-before-seen configurations.

this sounds like some seriously cool stuff! definitely looking forward to seeing pictures and video. sounds like a great way to push the discipline forward and show the amazing skills we are capable of that we hadn't even imagined.

the possibilities that emerge are endless... rodeo passenger transfer from back of wingsuit to front of canopy pilot (mr bill-style), anyone?

[SuperGirl 0]

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you know this is going to have to end with a multi discipline 4 way jump at some point in the future. two highly loaded canopies doing crew while "surfing" on some wingsuiters.

gives a whole new definition to a CRW wrap when you throw some wingsuits in the mix!
just remembered that canopy sucked into burble video from the other day. I wonder how easy it might be to get some collapse of the canopy when surfing the back of a wingsuiter, if not careful with it...

kids, don't try this at home

anyway... back to looking forward to pictures and video!

[peggs82 0]

This is gonna be a quick one folks..I'm busy having a blast out here in Moab. Head on over to Raise The Sky for the full write up!

But I won't hold out too much for you guys...so here's a shot from a cloudy practice jump!

Edit to add...
It was a really great day. Eli and Skydive Moab have been the best hosts. Our day started at a dream ruining 5:00AM. Thank God Clint has a nice espresso machine!

The dropzone was open and waiting for us to get going, and they kept us going all day! 4 jumps, then the day ended due to freak Moab weather...but it was a great day!

Stay tuned for tomorrows updates...they are going to be great! Operation Freefall starts tomorrow. Miss Nevada arrives late tonight, and will be doing a tandem for SOAR and Operation Freefall tomorrow morning! We have some awesome jumps planned, and I cannot wait see what they can do!

[sdctlc 0]

Awesome pic Phil! Looking for some really cool stuff from the weekend! Go Get Em T and J..

Scott

"He who Hesitates Shall Inherit the Earth!"

[mccordia 74]

Really cool stuff guys!
Ill slap this up onto wingsuitnews.com tomorrow as well!
Looking forward to the video!

JC
FlyLikeBrick
I'm an Athlete?

[DSE 5]

Wow. Impressive.

[Zeemax 0]

Very, very cool!

Though, what happened to the blue sky?!

Phoenix Fly - High performance wingsuits for skydiving and BASE
Performance Designs - Simply brilliant canopies

[Taz 0]

Phil has put an awesome play-by-play from Day One on the Raise the Sky blog.

They'll start jumping again soon...

It's the Year of the Dragon.

[lurch 0]

Whoa.
Holy shit thats cool.
Nice work guys.
Fucking amazing.
-B

Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

[Guana 0]

wow...unbelieveable!! Can't wait to see the videos!! Great to see you guys pushing the envelope to bring us these spectacular sights. Play Safe boys!!

[Taz 0]

They are massively kicking ass again today. They've really dialed in the wingsuit surfing, and they did a jump into Mineral Bottom for very pretty photos. We will post to the Raise the Sky blog again tonight, but we're definitely also hoping a few of the stills will make it into print!

It's the Year of the Dragon.

[stoney3434 0]

Awesome and like Andrea said ,..please keep all the dynamics in mind and stay healthy . You guys are the absolute very best at what you do ! What an Incredible Future lies ahead for parachuting AND wingsuiting ... Can't wait for the 'stingers' ! ....and stuff we can't even imagine now.

Life is what happens while we are making other plans.

[Kookaburra 0]

Not bad the photoshop montage
Well really, thumbs up for that... although not so new a discipline, Loic did it a few years back with a sailplane in Gap!

[Taz 0]

More updates on the Raise the Sky blog are up now with a few photos. Tagle and Nebelkopf wrote their own entries. It was an amazing weekend, and we are grateful to Skydive Moab, Sunpath and TonySuits, and our Raise the Sky charity partner, Operation Freefall.

Everyone is safe and happy, and we're looking forward to a next round of Project XRW! In the meantime, look for photos in an upcoming Parachutist magazine, and once they're published we'll put more online.

One of us will post here when there is some video online very soon.

It's the Year of the Dragon.

[SuperGirl 0]

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More updates on the Raise the Sky blog are up now with a few photos. Tagle and Nebelkopf wrote their own entries.

very cool stuff!! nice work, guys!

[scottygofast 0]

Nice Job Guys!

Z Flock #11; Muff #1909; PFI #15, USPA Lifer
Commercial Multi-Inst. Airplane/Rotory
www.flyteskool.ws Aerial Photography

[peggs82 0]

Wow, really...what a week!

Now that I've had time to go through all the pictures, watch some of the video, and generally relax, all I can still say is, "wow! we did that?"

I'm super excited to get the pics and video out to everyone, really they are something else. Make sure to have your subscriptions current to all the magazines, because I'm saving the best stuff for them.

Keep your eye on Raise The Sky's Blog and Facebook Page for more updates too!

And hey...even I got a dock in!!

[fmmobley 0]

Very cool...

What kind of fall rate did they have when they docked? Also, what size canopy was Tagle using?

... Marion

[peggs82 0]

We were both flying our X-Birds.

For me, it was a weird method of flying. Speed was more important than anything. The second I slowed a bit down to angle a shot, I dropped like a rock. Jeff seemed matched pretty well with Jonathan, or he's just a lot better than I am edit to add I'll have to look up my average fall rates...I wouldn't call it max max flight...but pretty close.

JT was flying a canopy he has competed with in the past.

[jasdcarter 0]

Didn't Luigi Cani and Jeb Corliss do something similar a few years ago?

[SwampGod 0]

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Didn't Luigi Cani and Jeb Corliss do something similar a few years ago?

absolutely right! the image is seared in my memory, as i'm sure it is for many others.

i have a few other snapshots in my brain like that... like seeing Olav flip and flop around a belly round in crosswind. or watching Loic Jean Albert surf down a snowy slope. even recently seeing a wingsuit navigate a slot canyon in "Ready to Go."

these have been magical scenes for me. ones where my conception of what was possible was challenged. not just in skydiving... but beyond.

i came out of this last weekend seeing a few more of those images, and believing that anything is possible... with the possible exception of cheesecake that make you lose weight.

our advances in technology, our ever-broadening skill-sets help make all this possible. as does learning from the past, and honoring it as part of the history.

after seeing what went into all of this, i am personally even more impressed with Jeb and Luigi's vision, talent, and drive than i was before. i am also excited about what new idea may lay around the corner.

Project XRW, and all the parties involved took my breath away this weekend. it reminded me of why i fell in love with the sport in the first place.

i simply love it when people push what is possible. i love the evolution of thought. and i love it when seeing pictures of skydiving gives me goosebumps.

thanks to all for a great weekend. simply amazing.

-eli

[LouDiamond 1]

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Didn't Luigi Cani and Jeb Corliss do something similar a few years ago?

Yes, it was on the cover of Parachutist in fact. The first to do it was Jari and Vladi. Jeff Provenzano and I did it in Lake Wales circa 03 as did Loic and Lugi. Jeff P., myself, Chris Martin and scary Perry did it again later on(that picture is in my book and the video is on Youtube) and there is at least one or two other European docks that have happened as well. One of them used to post on here, I believe it was under a small Cobalt canopy if I recall correctly. There is video of it floating around somewhere.

"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
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