2nd Annual tonto Boogie : 3 – 4 October 2009, Johannesburg Skydiving Club
By Taya Weiss, USPA D27874

Wingsuit Record

The 2nd Annual tonto Boogie rocked JSC again this year, celebrating Eric “tonto” Stephenson’s (D515) life and contribution to South African skydiving with the first official South African wingsuit formation record. The slot-specific 8-way formation came together perfectly on the last attempt of the day Saturday and was approved by judges on site minutes later.

Left to Right: Pierre Marais Badenhorst, Riaan Bergh, Bernard van Biljon, Dian Kemp, Edzard Biermann, Marc Bouwer, Taya Weiss, Eugene "Pottie" Potgieter (missing is record holder Brando Bacci, who had already walked out to boarding point!)

The new judging criteria for wingsuit formation records involves a grid that is overlaid digitally on a still photograph of the (pre-declared) formation to show every flier in his or her designated slot. Each flier must have at least one part of their body visible inside their appointed grid square. The same system has been adopted in the US and Australia, and is slated for consideration at the FAI during 2010.

Record Participants:
Base: Marc Bouwer
Row 2: Eugene "Pottie" Potgieter, Bernard van Biljon
Row 3: Dian Kemp, Pierre Marais Badenhorst, Brando Bacci
Row 4: Riaan Bergh, Edzard Biermann
Video and Organiser: Taya Weiss

Launch of the SASL

The tonto Boogie officially launched the South African Skydiving League, which had judges available for CRW, FS, Freefly, and Atmo entries to the league. The tonto Boogie sponsored medals for the overall winners to be determined at the close of the entire competition.

Raise the Sky Charity Drive

Raise the Sky, an NPO that connects skydiving events with charity fundraising, was a co-host of the event along with JSC. T-shirt sales and a fundraising drive brought in thousands of rand and lots of food and clothing for orphaned and disadvantaged students at St. Vincent’s School for the Deaf in Rosebank. Pam Mfaxa, principal of the Pastoral Centre Preschool and Creche in Kliptown, Soweto, and one of her teachers, Patience, visited the dropzone and sold some items made by the Kliptown AIDS Support Group. They also collected some baby clothes for the youngest students at the crèche. 

Colin Rothman checks out the wares of Patience (back to camera) and Pam (in green).

Party!

The party on Saturday night was the usual scene for JSC, which is to say an incredible band in Elusion, a huge bonfire, the traditional dancing on the bar, buffalo milk, a delicious lamb spit braai, and silly amounts of fun had by all. Can’t wait to do it all again!