Team Savolo broke a national formation skydiving record that had stood since 1997, as South Africa’s skydivers deliver strong performances across multiple disciplines.
Robertson, South Africa (16 April 2026) – The South African National Skydiving Championships, held in Robertson from 30 March to 2 April, delivered a standout showcase of community spirit and skill with multiple records broken across disciplines and a historic moment in formation skydiving taking centre stage.
Event organiser, Dino Paulo, described the championships as a broad celebration of the sport’s diversity and accessibility, featuring disciplines ranging from formation skydiving and wingsuit performance to artistic events.
“It caters for competitors of all skill levels and is meant to be developmental as well.”
He added that the event also serves as a key pathway for international representation in qualifying disciplines, while still allowing space for new and developing athletes to compete alongside experienced teams.
Among the standout performances this year were multiple wingsuiting records, including strong female representation. Anna Chirkovo set three national records in speed, distance and time, while in the open category, Neels Havenga and Dylan Hemer delivered record-breaking performances of their own.
Dino said the growth in participation was particularly encouraging.
“This was the most wingsuit entries we’ve had in over a decade, and seeing newcomers set records encourages more people to take the discipline seriously and move from recreational flying into performance-based competition.”
However, the defining story of the championships came in the 4-way formation skydiving category, where team Savolo produced a historic performance, finally breaking a national record that had stood since 1997.
For team member Bailey Edmunds, the achievement was both unexpected and deeply rewarding.
“To say it was a terrific Nationals is an understatement because we came in heavily untrained. We hadn’t jumped together in this configuration since 2023,” said Bailey. “But somehow everything just clicked.”
He said the team never set out chasing the record directly.
“We didn’t come in trying to break a record. We just wanted to have the best Nationals and have fun, and after about the sixth round we realised something big was happening.”
The record itself carried historical weight, previously set by Equanimity in 1997. This was a team widely regarded as one of South Africa’s most accomplished formations, with members who went on to become world champions and international competitors.
Dino says Savolo’s achievement represents more than just numbers on paper.
“What Savolo achieved is incredibly special, that record has stood for decades, and to see it finally broken at Nationals is remarkable.”
He also highlighted veteran skydiver Colin Rothman’s long-standing contribution to the sport, describing the moment as a full-circle milestone for the community.
With records falling, this year’s championships celebrated performance at the highest level, but also highlighted the depth and growth of South African skydiving.
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