Diamond Quest Camp Journal
by Frank Matrone
The organizers for United Parachute Club's annual Herd Boogie allowed CReW this year as long as it was organized by Diamond Quest. At most boogies around the world there is a fear that CReW and RW will conflict in the worst sense of the word. However, since United Diamonds has been holding practice camps at United Parachute Club for more than a year, the powers that be were confident that the two disciplines could safely coexist. Suffice it to say it went without a hitch.
United Diamonds sponsored a tent complete with DQ banners designed by mommy Schantz, made by Chico and paid for by Remo. FCI supplied demo Prodigys. The plan was to have a boogie not a training camp. There was no early morning call and participants were allowed to do an occasional freefall with the RW geeks.
Dives varied from 3 ways for beginners to 11 ways. Sequential dives were popular with smaller groups and for training dives. Two new comers earned their 4 stack awards and two earned a CCS. Two 8 way biplane diamonds were attempted and one was completed with Paul, a Canadian 4 way competitor, earning his CCS on that dive.
Most of the formations were built too far away for spectators to appreciate them. This was done for safety concerns so as not to get under the freefallers. However the group landed on the DZ all but one time which is better than the the big freefall formations did.
We were able to wow the crowd on the last dive Sunday night. Ted organized it so we would be the sunset load with no aircraft behind us. We exited near the DZ and flew a nice 10 way kite overhead to the enjoyment and applause of the 300+ registered jumpers at the boogie.
Thanks to United Parachute Club for letting DQ prove CReW can be done safely at a boogie.