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JYRO Boogie 2020: The Fun That Was Had

Shannon
March 31, 2020

Hot damn, that was a mighty-fine weekend!! The one boogie that you’d still turn up to when the forecast was this bad, and it ended up being a few days of awesome weather and a party Jyro would have been proud of. There were some amazing seminars from the all-star coach lineup, wet weather activities like the ‘How-well-did-you-know-Jyro?’ Quiz and a Summer of Love party night…because, well, there’s fun to be had.


JYRO BOOGIE 2020

“There’s fun to be had!”

A weekend event? Not for the NZ Aerosports (now JYRO) crew! We flew over on the Wednesday morning to Sydney, picked up our rental cars and started the mammoth driving trip to Moruya (yep, it’s a four hour drive). There was some entertainment on the way – yodelling lessons, awkward text messaging and posing in front of the rental car…

NZA (now JYRO) crew checking out the rental car

The ladies’ house had a sweet deck looking out over the river, so we started the ‘weekend’ off in Jyro style with gin & tonics (Jen makes the best G&Ts).

“JYRO Boogie. Possibly the only skydive event that isn’t weather dependent. Rain, hail or shine, the life and legacy of Jyro is celebrated in a manner I think he would have appreciated. The jumps were rad, and more importantly, so was the party. Massive thanks to the Skydive Oz Moruya crew, the amazing team at NZ Aerosports (now JYRO), and the bunch of naked chicks singing ‘Girls just want to have fun’ in the bathtub at 4am. Fuck yeah!”
WOODY SMART | JYRO ATHLETE | CAN LAND AT THE DZ

“Debrief and Cocktails?”

Thursday was a right-off with the rain pouring the entire day, so we had an introduction to all the badass load organisers we would have available for the weekend. It was quite the line-up! Hayden Galvin, Matt Boag, Max Manow, Matt Leonard, Cornelia Mihai, Dennis Praet, Ryan Dudderidge, Woody Smart, Jules McConnell, Gary ‘The Goat’ Nemirovsky and Sass. There was some amazing talent at our disposal and it was cool to have a Q + A session with them – so much knowledge about skydiving! We were just a wee bit spoiled…

Load Organisers for JYRO Boogie 2020

It was clear that Sky God had decided we needed the entire day to really get into the Jyro spirit of things. The rain carried on pouring and skydiving was not going to be undertaken. Instead, once the Q+A was over, everyone pulled on their JYRO Boogie 2020 t-shirts, grabbed a beer and talked shit for the rest of the day (and into the wee hours of the morning). Oh! And everyone got into teams and had a go at our JYRO Boogie Quiz! It’s online for everyone to have a go – see if you can do better than our boogiers – head here!

“There’s fun to be had’ JYRO Boogie 2020 t-shirts

“Share the Love!”

“JYRO boogie, what a ride! Such an amazing event, from the lovely team at NZ Aerosports (now JYRO), to the legends at Skydive OZ, the line up of coaches back by an incredible list of participants coming together to put on an amazing few days. Hundreds of skydives, 0 chops…and Icarus put on around 50 cartons (not kidding)! It was such a pleasure to be there with everyone – good vibes all round. The legend of Jyro lives on!!! I can’t wait to do another one of these epic events”
MATT BOAG | JYRO ATHLETE | WEARER OF TIGHT JUMPSUITS

“JYRO Boogie is a special time for me, a time to celebrate the life of a friend and a crazy soul, a time to remember and share some laughs and tears with the NZ (now JYRO) crew. I was a little concerned that the boogie was moving away from NZ, however I couldn’t be more wrong.
The weather didn’t want to play ball on the first day, but considering how much the land around needed it after all the fires we had little to complain about. In any case, Irish in his inevitable ways brought all the coaches together for some seminars on safety, boogie vs comps, skydiving pro scene and as always our favourite sexual position….Irish!
The second day was a pearler! We had 2 planes running, everything from small flat groups, star crest, lots of angles, verticals and wing suiters. Me being a flatty wanna-be free flyer, it was like being in a candy shop! We signed off a bunch of star cresters, helped out with some angles and even did a couple of vertical jumps.
The second day was a little quieter for the flatties but never the less we did a couple of star crests, helped out with free fliers and even a canopy flock! The party as always was special!
What can I say. To the SkydiveOZ crew you really are an amazing bunch of people, without you our sport is doomed. Thank you so much for bringing the planes, the awesome facilities, yummy food, fantastic party and memorable jumps.
To the NZ (now JYRO) crew, keep doing what you’re doing, keep leading the sport that we all love. Thank you for organising the event, for my invite (can’t for till next year) and for the never ending support! Jyro would have been proud!”
GARY NEMIROVSKY | LONGTIME JYRO ATHLETE | GOATS ARE HIS THING

“Let’s light a fire under it!”

Friday!! Honestly, no words can describe the level of skydiving that was achieved that day! From ticking off Star Crests (thanks Gary, Dennis, Sass & #TheBrentFindlay) to Dima wearing the most spectacular gold jumpsuit for his 1000th jump. Needless to say, it was an EPIC day full to the brim with good vibes, big smiles and swoops for dayzzzzzz.

Dima completing his 1000th jump over Skydive Oz. Photo Credit: Kian Bullock

“I don’t think there is a much better way to celebrate Jyro´s life than with a whole lot of fun, quality jumping a mega party at the end of it. The weather was on our side, the DZ Skydive OZ ran a perfect operation and I left Moruya with a big smile on my face, many new friends and great memories. Thanks for having me and a big thank you to all parties involved, making it a truly special event!”
MAX MANOW | RED BULL ATHLETE | LEGEND.

“JYRO Boogie 2020, didn’t feel like a skydive boogie, more like a party with your mates that you get to do some jumps at. Coolest thing I saw was Ian with 76 jumps doing an 8 point 8way with the World Champion as a piece partner, like watching a kid eat chocolate for the 1st time!”
SASS | LONGTIME JYRO ATHLETE | ALL ABOUT THE 4 WAY JUMPS

Two Star-crossed Sponsored Athletes

We were also treated to a sneak peak into a Bromance of the Ages… Chris Stewart from NZ Aerosports (now JYRO) and the Land of the Long White Cloud, where the pronunciation of ‘deck’ can be mistaken for something entirely different. And Matt Leonard from Performance Designs and ‘Murica, Fuck Yeah! It really filled your heart with joy to see – two guys swapping shirts, swapping parachutes, sharing bunk beds, finishing each other’s sentences, long stares at each other from across the packing mat…

The bromance is real. Matt and Chris. BFFs.

“JYRO Boogie 2020, the Summer of Love, was exactly that. Was a great experience to be part of an international boogie that brings people together to jump, learn and socialise. Regardless of the weather, the vibe was something few boogies have during down times, super happy, excitement, and still full of life. The jumps in Moruya at Skydive Oz were a blast. Made some freefly jumps, belly jumps and a canopy flock I won’t forget. Thanks NZ for having and hope to see everyone soon.”
MATT LEONARD | PD ATHLETE | BFF TO CHRIS STEWART

Friday evening saw a mean-as spread put on by Skydive Oz with all dietary requirements catered for (#veganathlete) 🙂 And we saw one of the best Day Tapes EVER! Be prepared when you watch it – it will make you want to go skydiving immediately and quite possibly a FOMO attack will ensue (you’ve been warned)…

“JYRO Boogie ended up being exactly what was expected: a gathering of good friends in a beautiful place, having fun and celebrating together. I was surprised by how beautiful and wild the location was so I definitely want to go back to Moruya one day. It was also nice to see and feel the good vibes. Everybody jumped with everybody no matter the level, no disappointments, no sad faces, only smiles. When it rained we partied, when it was sunny we sent it … I’m so looking forward to the next one! I think Jyro’s legacy is worthwhile. There’s fun to be had in this life.”
CORNELIA MIHAI | JYRO ATHLETE | ALL-ROUND BADASS

“The answer is Yes.”

After such a mega day of jumping, Saturday had a lot to live up to. So of course, the first load kicked off with a flocking jump of spectacular proportions. Some of the best in the world all on one jump together, flying together and being absolute badasses.

Our Load Organisers getting together for a very special jump to celebrate the life of Jyro. Photo Credit: Chris Stewart

Everyone crowded around outside the hangar to watch as the flock got together in the sky, flew around for a bit and then it was a ‘where do I look’ kinda scenario with one parachute after another coming in to land. Oh, the sound of Petra and Leia! It’s just so delicious!

And that was just the first load!

Skydive Oz pulled out all the stops for this event and made it even more special with the arrival of Sydney Skydivers’ Super Caravan. That is one fast plane with a turnaround time of just 20 minutes meant we were pumping!

The Australian sport skydiving scene is just a wee bit amazeballs. So much talent was on display and there was all types of jumping. Head up, head down, movement, formations, CRW, rodeos, artistic wingsuit freestyle, a Galactic Princess and a Norse War-Goddess flying together… you name it, we had it!

Holding hands. Chris and Matt. Photo Credit: Kian Bullock

“Fully optioned”

“What a special place surrounded by special people. It’s got a feeling like no other event in the world – people are all there to just appreciate a great man and a great company. The staff are always reliving his legacy with how they run the event too! From JYRO quizzes to the beer fridge always being full, the JYRO boogie is like no other event. Even if not a single jump was done, everyone is still happy to be there and just talk Jyro. The Icarus crew are the best in the world and always looking to do what’s best for the sport…and then bring that to Skydive OZ it’s a perfect mixture, Skydive OZ facilities and crew could make any event special.
I love nothing more than being at these events because at the end of the day there’s fun to be had and everyone’s there to celebrate this amazing sport which has been made better, safer and more fun every day because of 1 great man.”
PETER ‘IRISH’ SUTTON | THE MC | CORONAVIRUS EXPERT

“It doesn’t get much better when my favourite canopy manufacturer puts on a boogie at my favourite drop zone where my favourite friends come to play! On top of that I got to meet some new friends – ok so things just got better!!!
Highlights from the weekend were jumping with Morven and Charmaine who are now fearless under canopy!
Also helping people with their landings – it’s amazing one simple piece of advice can make all the difference in a landing. I’m always stoked when I can turn people’s fear of canopy control and landing around – there is so much fun to be had!
Unfortunately the clouds didn’t allow for any more one on one canopy jumps I was hoping to do…but there’ll always be next time!”
JULES MCCONNELL | FEARLESS JYRO ATHLETE | LOVES ALL THINGS CANOPY

Our very own Omnipotent Dictatoress, Luci, had a go at her very first Rodeo in a ridiculously awesome set of dungarees.

“Dance your life away!”

Sky God decided we had had our fill of jumping for the day and rolled in a bunch of clouds, but not before he had some mischief. A few skydivers had to come down in the plane cos they were overdressed and feared they would lose their way in the clouds…

 

And then it was time to get prepped for the Summer of Love party. And everyone came to the party! We had tie-dye, long flowing dresses, very short shorts, glitter, sparkles, double denim and so many fluffy animal hats. Summer of Love Aussie-style! The Day Tape was watched, thanks were given to the amazing staff at Skydive OZ (you are rockstars!!) and then the music started…

Quite possibly the only ‘safe’ photo from the party… NZ Aerosports’ (now JYRO) Jen + Te with Aussie Skydiver Charmaine. Fluffy hats courtesy of Woody and Nat

“Fuck Yeah!”

“There’s no post-boogie blues like JYRO 2020 post-boogie blues. What an amazing line-up of coaches at an awesome DZ! How have Icarus managed to collect so many fun people into one place? They’ve organised informative coaches, demo rigs, great day tapes, MC, DJ, & a great themed party. Not to mention the beers & pizzas! The jumps were impressive & well highlighted on the day tapes. And who would volunteer to do a Skyhook demo?!?!? Honestly! It had everything!
The ripple effect of fun flowed well into the crowd who then had a huge participation in party night. The ‘Summer of Love’ party has made for a lot to be lived up to elsewhere! The glitter, (how does that stuff stay on for 3 days?) the tie-dyes, the flowers & the glowing stars, the party hats & the bubbles. Thank you Icarus for the 2020 Jyro Boogie! You do a rad party indeed!”
CHARMAINE NIELSEN | AUSSIE SKYDIVER | POSSIBLY WORKS AT NZA (now JYRO)

“My second JYRO Boogie! The first one was held at Skydive Auckland, New Zealand. The weather was a challenge there! This year the event was held in Australia at Skydive OZ Moruya. It certainly is a great idea to take the event to different locations and different countries. All the staff at Skydive OZ made all the usual check in formalities easy and nothing was a problem. Their facilities are great. The first day was weathered out due to rain but everyone was kept entertained and updated.
The second day was fun with two planes running for most of the day, there were no issues or long waits to get on a load. All the skydives that I did were fun, ranging from star crests to some good quality 2 to 8-way F/S sequential with most of the organisers. All the coaches did a great job, and all levels and disciplines were catered for.
The party night was certainly something Jyro would have been more than pleased with. I thought it was great to see the small clip on the day tape of Jyro, as a lot of people there would never have met him. It was a fun event to be part of!”
BRENT FINDLAY | KIWI SKYDIVER | NEW ZEALAND NATIONAL TREASURE

“Skydive OZ crew rocked it and what a beautiful place to jump! So much gratitude for our skydiving community and the coaches. It was exactly how Dad would have wanted it, skydive, party, smiles, and a fuckton of FUN. Fuck yeah. We keeping Dad’s spirit alive.”
LUCI MARTYN | OMNIPOTENT DICTATORESS | HAS SMILES FOR DAYS

Want more?

Peter ‘Irish’ Sutton isn’t just a talented MC, he has an excellent podcast. You can check out what he’s all about on his Facebook page here.

Kian Bullock is a very talented photographer (and an Icarus (now JYRO) Athlete). You can see the rest of the photos from JYRO Boogie 2020 here.

Matt Leonard had a tour of our factory. We still aren’t sure what he was up to…

 

Follow our organisers and camera flyers! See what some of them get up to out in the world of skydiving:
Cornelia Mihai
Max Manow
Dennis Praet
Hayden Galvin
Matt Boag
Ryan Dudderidge
Matt Leonard
Woody Smart
Chris Stewart

Australian Skydiver Magazine has heaps of cool articles about skydiving in Australia (Jules McConnell is a regular contributor). Head here to sign up to their online magazine.

Missed out on the fun?

JYRO Boogie is a biannual event! We’ll be having another in 2022, so follow us on all the social platforms for updates (facebook + instagram)! You can also sign up to our monthly newsletter… scroll to the bottom of the page to sign up for ‘after parties and free shit’.

Check out JYRO Boogie 2018 Day Tapes here.

If you have been living in a hole and don’t know who our Omnipotent Dictator was, you can read all about him here.

we’ve got after parties and free shit