The history of swooping goes way back and no one knows for sure who started doing it first.
The first swoop competitions were organized in 1996 by BJ Worth & Reggie Estaugh who organized a swoop competition down a mountain in Big Sky, Montana. Later that year a couple of skydivers organized the 1st pond swooping competition in Gardiner, NY just miles from the original location of Woodstock. Swoop competitions continued for a several years and the Pro Swooping Tour was formed in 2003. Later that year the Pro Swooping Tour presented Canopy Piloting (a.k.a swooping) to the International Parachute Committee and the sport got accepted at the IPC's 54th meeting in Brazil. The producers of the PST organized the 1st World Cup of Canopy Piloting in Perris Valley California.
TIMELINE OF PARACHUTE TECHNOLOGY
1988-Parachutes De France™ releases the “Bluetrac” which was constructed of the first zero-permeability fabric which promised a new type of performance.
1988-Performance Designs™ releases the "Excalibur" which marked the birth of cross braced technology. The Excalibur was made of F111, non elliptical & had an open nose.
1993-Performance Designs™ releases the "Stiletto". One of the most popular non cross braced swooping canopies of all time.
1995-New Zealand Aerosports™ releases the "Mach 1 Extreme". The first seven cell high performance elliptical crossed braced canopy made of ZP utilizing a closed nose.
1997-New Zealand Aerosports™ forms Icarus canopies™ and releases the "FX Extreme". A new improved seven cell elliptical tri-cell made of ZP with a closed nose.
1999-Icarus canopies™ releases the "VX Extreme". The first nine cell elliptical tri-cell made of ZP with a closed nose.
1999-Performance Designs™ releases the "Velocity". PDs first high performance seven cell elliptical cross braced canopy made of ZP with a closed nose.
2002-Precision Aerodynamics™ releases the "XAOS". Both seven & nine cell versions of an elliptical tri-cell made of ZP with a closed nose.
2002-Ian Bobo with Performance Designs™ creates the “RDS” (Removable Deployable System™).
2004-New Zealand Aerosports™ forms Daedalus canopies™ and releases the "JVX". An improved nine cell with new trim, new nose section, no stabilizers & sail material.
