Sport
26 July, 2026
Skydivers in world record
FAR North Freefall Club soared to new heights on World Skydiving Day 2026, smashing its previous record with an extraordinary 229 jumps on 11 July, more than double last year’s tally of 110.
The achievement cemented the Mission Beach-based club as one of Australia’s most active skydiving communities and delivered a spectacular day of action for locals and visitors alike.
A standout highlight was the 42 beach landings at Mission Beach, giving crowds the rare chance to watch skydivers touchdown against one of the country’s most picturesque backdrops.
A team of experienced canopy relative work (CRW) skydivers built a striking six canopy stack while flying the World Skydiving Day flag, creating a colourful formation above the beachfront.
Later, 16 skydivers linked together in freefall to form a heart-shaped formation – a tribute to the spirit of the event and the club’s efforts to help revive 16-way formation skydiving competitions in Australia.
Coach Andrew Barker said the formation was a fitting finale to the camp.
“It was a magnificent way to finish, landing on the beach with a perfect heart that we built over Mission Beach,” he said.
Club chief instructor Valérie Schmied said the day couldn’t have gone better. “We were absolutely stoked for World Skydiving Day. We couldn’t ask for better weather and a better performance,” she said.
Mission Beach local Charlotte Cooper said being invited to join the camp was a thrill. “I got to jump onto the beach with some beautiful people. I learnt so much over the last few days.”
