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'Best in the World': World record organizer talks about this week's jump plans at Skydive Chicago

By FOX 32 Digital Staff
Updated  August 21, 2022 5:43pm CDT
Chicago
FOX 32 Chicago

Organizer of 200 person world record skydive attempt at Skydive Chicago in Ottawa talks about the plan

Skydive Chicago's Rook Nelson talked with Elizabeth Matthews and Mark Strehl about the plan for 200 skydivers to attempt a world record this week in Ottawa.

OTTAWA, Illinois - Starting Monday morning, 200 skydivers will be at Skydive Chicago in Ottawa to try to set a new world record.

"We've assembled a team that's the best in the world," said Rook Nelson of Skydive Chicago. "The skill and experience here is the greatest."

The goal is to create a 200-person "head-down vertical" formation. This will require ten aircraft flying at 19,000 feet, which will give them 60 seconds to complete the formation. They have to lock arms in a pre-assigned pattern.

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"I'm a third generation skydiver and I just like doing fun things with like-minded people," Nelson said. "As the sport starts to grow, more people get interested. I's fun to put a goal in front of people."

Tryout camps started in November 2021, he said. The hardest thing is telling people they are not making the cut.

"I've learned that you can't make everybody happy," he said. "Everybody has a bad day, where they're not performing at their best. We have a bench. We rotate people in and out based on their performance. It's not the funnest job to say, ‘Hey man maybe you should sit this one out,’ but it keeps everyone skydiving at their highest level."