Down Airport Drive in Raeford is Skydive Paraclete XP, a business that’s been in operation since 1969 that’s currently hosting the 2024 United States Parachute Association (USPA) Nationals competition.
The best skydivers from across the country are competing at the facility just south of Fayetteville. Near Fort Liberty, the facility is typically used for military personnel as well as members of the public looking to experience the thrill of skydiving. With full-time pilots, several planes, and a new hanger, the owners have welcomed the possibility of hosting regional, national, and world competitions. The facility even has an on-site restaurant for pilots and skydivers alike to swoop into throughout the day.
The Nationals competition will take place from August 29 to Sept. 4. The best competitors will form teams to represent the US in future international competitions, including the 2025 Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (World Air Sports Federation) World Cup, which will be held in Arizona, Austria, and the Netherlands.
“Nationals is our marquee annual skydiving event,” said USPA Executive Director Albert Berchtold. “Just as the Olympic Trials represent the pinnacle of athletic achievement for many other sports, Nationals is the ultimate test of skill for skydivers across the nation, allowing these elite athletes to reach new heights in the sport.”
There are three different levels: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Judges watch competitors in three to four events, including distance, speed, zone accuracy, and freestyle. In the speed competition, competitors can gain speeds over 100 mph for speed if there’s a tailwind, officials with Skydive Paraclete XP say. In the distance competition, the goal is to glide the furthest distance past the gravel after first descending below the floating buoys in the water.
Days before Nationals, Skydive Paraclete XP hosted a regional competition, during which roughly 50 competitors of varying levels competed on site.
Judges stand alongside the landing track with clipboards to precisely track landing points. Cameras are set up along the trajectory so that judges can refer back to the footage in the case of an appeal.
Individuals are never supposed to land in the water. The water is intended as a backup in the rare occasion that a parachuter miscalculates their speed and decline and unintentionally lands in the water. During the regional competition, one individual’s rough landing ended up in the water, as seen below.
While certain events are taking place in North Carolina this year, additional competitions will take place later in September at Skydive Chicago, the joint host for this year’s competition.
Leaders in North Carolina have mentioned the possibility of bringing future Olympic Games to North Carolina, possibly in 2040. Athletic events can bring huge benefits to the state. Earlier this year, lawmakers were pleased to see their business-friendly efforts reap nearly $50 million in economic benefits during the US Open in Pinehurst.
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