Diamond Quest Continues ...

by Laura Ausel

About 30 jumper attended the Diamond Quest Large Formation camp held at Raeford, North Carolina over the Fourth of July holiday. Participants included members of the Diamond Quest '94 world record team and CReW enthusiasts from as far west as Texas and as far north as Pennsylvania, with a correspondingly wide range of experience.

Flight Concepts International provided demo models of their Prodigy canopies for those who didn't already own one, and the Raeford DZ kept the loads moving with two twin Otters, a twin Bonanza and a Cessna.

Dives sizes moved progressively from 4- and 6-ways to 16-ways and larger as skills were gained or improved. One participant commented that it was nice to be able to come to a "big-way" boogie and get on dives that were commensurate with his experience. Another participant earned his CCR (Canopy Crest Recipient) and his CCS (Canopy Crest Soloist) on the same day, but not on the same dive. Although there were a couple minor wraps, bumps, and bruises, there were no cutaways or injuries over the course of the weekend. The North Carolina state record of 17 was broken Sunday with a 21-way, and again Monday with a 22-way. Two 26-ways were attempted, but were missing two docks.

Overall, the attitude of the weekend was laid-back and relaxed, with an emphasis on learning and fun. The DZ put on a barbecue Monday night, complete with fireworks and a DJ. The camp closed Tuesday with a 22-way jewel formation that, once completed, broke into smaller diamonds followed by the classic Diamond Quest "starburst" breakoff. Tuesday afternoon, as several jumpers were having lunch before heading home, they came up with several ways to know "You Might Be a CReW Dog If ...".