The European Skydiving Symposium (ESS) 2026 brought together 800+ skydivers, industry leaders, manufacturers, and innovators from across the globe. We weren’t sitting this one out!
We flew halfway across the world to show up at our first ESS. Not just to attend but to contribute and connect.
From booth conversations to seminar learnings, we got stuck into the ideas shaping where skydiving is heading next.
One month later, we’re still riding the ESS high. Here’s our recap..
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- JYRO Mission at ESS
- ESS 2026: The Atmosphere & Community
- The ESS Flow
- The JYRO Booth
- JYRO on Stage: Canopy Design & Pitot Tube Project
- Wrapping It All Up
- Demo Days at Skydive Spain
- What We Learned
- Final Thoughts
JYRO Mission at ESS
Aotearoa New Zealand sits a long way from the skydiving hubs of Europe. It’s a massive deal (and honour) to get invited, and it required a fair bit of planning. 8 months later, all the admin was done. We’d planned a booth, rallied our crew, packed our bags and headed to Seville to meet our new friends.
We came to ESS to spend time with the jumpers who are shaping the future of skydiving: not just the industry leaders, but the ones doing the hard yards every day. To listen, to learn, and to better understand how we can play a part in the progression of the sport.
And yeah, we may have mentioned our canopies (that’s our main gig 👉www.jyro.com ), but the real value was in the conversations around them. The honest ones. The ones about progression, safety, retention, and how we keep this thing we all love not just alive, but thriving.
Because growth doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens in conversations, when we show up together and talk about the shit that really matters.
And if we can sprinkle a bit of that “F&%$ Yeah!” energy into the room along the way…well, F%$# Yeah!
ESS 2026: The Community & Atmosphere
ESS isn’t just another event. It’s one of the biggest gatherings in global skydiving, and it’s still growing.
From athletes to DZ owners, riggers to instructors, manufacturers to first-timers, it isn’t just industry peeps that it caters to – it’s a skydiving ecosystem. Our sport community had a fully stacked schedule of varied topics across workshops, seminars and lived experiences.
Oh, plus the two days of testing at Skydive Spain 👉 https://www.skydivespain.com
👉 Learn more about ESS: https://www.europeanskydivingsymposium.com
Events like ESS don’t happen by accident. What felt effortless from the outside is years of work behind the scenes. The organisers, volunteers, sponsors, speakers and the city of Seville, all bringing the skydiving world together.
And when we finally met everyone IRL after months of WhatsApp groups, emails, Instagram DMs and the incredibly well put together ESS app, it felt like a massive family reunion (minus the good old family drama).
The hospitality was abso-fuckin-lutely unmatched. Sponsors were treated to sightseeing activities, views from the top of Seville’s cathedral, cruises out on the canal, and soaking up old city streets for all they’re worth.
But what really stood out wasn’t just the size of the event; it was the atmosphere.
As Matt put it: “800 skydivers in a fancy Spanish hotel was so much fun. The knowledge, energy, vibes & connections made were invaluable.”
The ESS Flow
The opening ceremony set the tone early.
A Flamenco performance had us picking our jaws off the floor, followed by some impressive stats from the organisers and a serious sense of momentum. And just like that, day 1 was moving…and a bit of a whirlwind, if we’re honest!
With so much to take in, time disappeared (along with our voices). Presentations wrapped up, the raffle was drawn, beers were cracked, and suddenly we were out in the old narrow streets of Sevilla. Traditional music floats through the air, mixing with the smell of orange blossoms. Glasses of tinto de verano that somehow never stayed empty (for the entire week) and conversations that rolled into the night like no one had anywhere better to be…
And then it was morning again. Coffee in hand, people streaming back into the venue hall, booths packed, lines forming outside conference rooms. It was a skydiver’s dream-a hall full of merch, tunnel deals, military information, DZ packages, manufacturing expos, the people behind all the genius. There’s deep dives into everything from canopy aerodynamics to dropzone operations to first-hand experiences in the sky, to AI and marketing. The presentations spark new questions and ideas, which spill out into the hallways, back to the booths, into action.
ESS wasn’t just at the venue; it was everywhere that week. Social feeds were lit up with coverage by all those who attended. If you weren’t there, you probably still felt it. And probably got some serious FOMO too.
This thing isn’t slowing down. ESS is growing in size, in reach, and in impact. And Seville is already locked in again for 2028 …just sayin’!
THE ESS JYRO BOOTH
Bright, bold and Jump Your Ring Out neon vibes. We definitely weren’t hard to find.
But the booth wasn’t just a display. It was fun, technical, and chaotic all at once. It became a meeting point. A place to hang out with mates, take goofy Polaroids, show off ya guns (or lack thereof) with our grip strength game, ask questions and just be part of the community.
People were generous with their ideas, honest about the challenges the sport faces, and excited to collaborate on ways to keep skydiving thriving. This is the shit that matters.
Our friends from Performance Designs pulled up next door, with Tora Tora across the path, and the whole area quickly became a bit of a hangout zone. Competition took a back seat, and we had such a fun time with our best mates! At the end of the day, we’re all really just here for that Fuck Yeah! feeling.
JYRO On Stage: Canopy Design & Pitot Tube Testing
Okay, so we got proper nerdy about the JYRO range. Led by our top engineer, Julien Peelman. He kicked things off with “Inside Canopy Design: The JYRO Tech POV.”
Listen to his dulcet French tones to hear how we design our modern canopy: from performance characteristics to the data that drives development, Julien got down to business to workshop the real thinking behind the wings that are trusted every day.
“It’s great to see [ESS] growing into such an important gathering for the European skydiving community. The sport -focused approach gives it a different and refreshing edge. Being part of it as both a speaker and a brand was incredibly fun – and we were incredibly well looked after.” – Julien
Later in the week, Julien and Elia took the stage for something that’s been in the works for a while now: the Pitot Tube Project.
For years, canopy pilots have relied on tools like a GPS. But they can only tell you so much. Wind skews the numbers, and true airspeed has always been hard to measure, so our boys set out to change that and built something better.
Intrigued? Don’t blame you, check out the full presentation here!
The auditorium was full of laughter as Elia explained the initial experimental days and showed us how he wore the OG Pitot tube (hellllllooo dick cam). As the project developed and data started pouring in, Julien’s graphs got a little spicy in terms of complexity, mapping of canopy polars, comparing wing loadings and analysis of a thousand little dots…but even if you got a little lost, there was that “whoa” kinda feeling. Because now, we’re on the way to be able to start measuring true canopy airspeed in flight. Not estimates, not guesses, but real data.
We’re talking about mapping canopy polars, comparing wing loadings, and analysing performance across the full flight envelope. We’re so proud of our Chief brains, and others like these two, who continue to enhance the future of the sport so that the rest of us can simply fly smarter and safer.
Keen for more? Check out Juliens FailSmart Linewear Presentation from PIA 2025.
Event Takeaways
By day 3, the chaos had settled into a rhythm..that kind of full-on-holiday-mode flow-like a state you fall into when you’re having a really good time: coffee, expos, merch, scanning QR codes, seminars, more coffee, more conversations, and then, bar.
In the midst of it all, this hit:
“Even when you found yourself face to face with true legends, everyone was approachable, friendly, and genuinely open to sharing ideas and having a conversation about how to keep pushing this world forward.” -Elia
Ego was put aside, and there were no barriers. Just people who care, passionately.
Before wrapping it up for real, we did one last lap of the venue to catch a few more faces and throw one or two final questions their way (on camera, of course, because we love a bit of light pressure):
“What’s your skydiving hot take?” Check out unique skydiver personalities ESS Hot-takes here.
But when we asked what they loved most about the ESS, the answer was always the same:
The PEOPLE.
And because it’s a skydiving event, there HAS to be a party night. ToraTora made damn sure to deliver. Once all the awards were wrapped up, costumes came out, the dancefloor got demolished and there was a rotating photobooth that didn’t stop spinning. Safe to say, a bit a blur..
Demo Days at Skydive Spain
Kick-ons carried straight into Skydive Spain under the bright Spanish sun the next morning.
“After such a full on, successful three days, we didn’t think it could be topped, but the demo days were PUMPING.”
– Nic
The neon JYRO tent went up, canopies were laid out and they sure as hell didn’t stay there very long.
The DZ was full of energy: loads turning, manifest under the pump, people demoing, sending it, and coming straight back for more. The blue skies were full of canopies, with a huge JYRO range loud and proud amongst them.
If we had to sum it, surely you’ve guessed by now that is was yet another resounding “F#%K Yeah” moment.
What we learned about the future of skydiving.
Sick merch is cool, discounts help and great gear matters.
But across dozens of conversations, one thing was clear: People want the sport to continue to grow.
And when we asked what’s holding it back, the answers were pretty consistent: cost, access to DZs, shifts in culture and change in community.
But what stood out more wasn’t the problems.
It was where people see the opportunity:
- Bringing skydivers together.
- Getting more people into the sport.
- Sharing knowledge better.
- Increasing awareness around safety and progression.
It’s about building something people want to be part of.
Final thoughts
Skydiving is built on community. Events like ESS remind us that even though we’re scattered across the world, we’re all connected by the same thing: That moment when you land a jump, look around at your friends and think: F#%K Yeah!
And regardless of challenges that we face, if we can keep building better wings, enhancing experiences and connecting communities that create more of those moments…
Then the future of skydiving is looking mighty fine.