Blizzard, our intermediate 8 way FS team

About our 8 way

Team Blizzard

Blizzard is an Intermediate 8-way FS team made up of members with a wide range of experience and time in the sport. Although most of us are Headcorn regulars, we don't have an affiliation to any one dropzone: we've spent the 2007 season training at Weston-on-the-Green, with coaching by VNE team veteran Martin Soulsby.

Training at Weston has allowed us to pre-manifest for typically five skydives per day - completing over 60 team jumps since March, in spite of the abysmal summer weather. The other main benefit of Weston is that they operate the Dornier G92, which is the principal competition aircraft in the country right now - so our exits at the British Nationals feel just like those we do in training.

Looking back over the year, it's been a tremendously rewarding first season for the team and a great learning experience for every member. We trained hard, put in some tunnel time and went to all three UK Grand Prix competitions. Oh, and we even had a little fun along the way.

Our random builds and block technique have improved steadily this year, but the biggest single turnaround has been in our launches: after many long weekends of dogged funnelling, at the 2007 Nationals we were able to fly every single exit, helping to secure third place at the end of the meet.

Mike Dawson, team leader.