Compete locally, judged globally
Young flyers at iFLY tunnels around the world are taking part in the Global Kids Challenge. Every competitor flies at their home tunnel, and every round is filmed and judged centrally, so kids everywhere compete on a level playing field.
iFLY is committed to supporting young flyers, and tomorrow's competitors really are the future of our sport. There are two events, and prizes are awarded to the top 3 competitors in each.
The official rules cover everything in full, including categories, scoring and the compulsory freestyle moves.
2-Way Formation Skydiving Solo Freestyle Official rules (PDF)
2-way FS is flown over 4 rounds. Each round has a set sequence of formations drawn from the dive pool. Teams receive the draw at the welcome brief in their own tunnel, in writing, pictures and video.
Every round starts with the team building a 'star': facing each other and holding hands. As soon as they release the star, the judges start the clock and count how many correct formations the team completes, in the right order, within 35 seconds.
Each correct formation scores one point, and teams keep working through the sequence until flying time ends. Blocks, shown by numbers, score one point at the start and another at the end, as long as the middle move is correct. Randoms, shown by letters, are single static shapes.
The camera sits above the flyers, so the judges can see every grip from the top down.
Solo freestyle is also flown over 4 rounds. Rounds 1 and 3 are the free routine, and rounds 2 and 4 are the compulsory rounds.
The free routine is each flyer's chance to show off their skills and creativity. Competitors submit a free routine card telling the judges what they plan to fly, and are scored on flying at least those moves, and flying them well. Difficulty and presentation both count.
The compulsory rounds use the moves set out in the rules. Every move must be flown, but the order is up to the flyer, and they can add other moves in between. The judges are looking for the correct moves, flown well.
The camera faces the tunnel from the front, like a judge sitting in a fixed seat. Flyers can only be scored on what the camera can see, so it pays to know where it is.
Want to take part next year? Speak to your home tunnel.