Over the weekend of April 25-26, AXIS Flight School hosted the second 2026 ISSA Event of the year at Skydive Arizona.
Competitors from three countries attended—the USA, Australia, and China. There are eight ISSA Events in total this year, and this meet brought together several world-level veterans alongside two newcomers who had never competed in speed before.
| How the ISSA World Cup Series scoring works: Wherever a competitor did not participate in an event, the result for that meet is scored as zero. The World Cup Series overall result is the sum of each competitor’s two best meet results, regardless of the total number of events completed. Points per meet equal the meet result of a single meet. At the completion of the series, the competitor with the most points is declared the ISSA Speed Skydiving World Cup Series Champion 2026. |
Day 1
Competitors jumped from Twin Otters. Surface weather conditions were excellent, but a 40 mph crosswind aloft made for more challenging jumps. Despite this, seven competitors were able to exit on a single pass, and everyone made it back to the main landing area without issue. Four rounds were completed before the winds deteriorated (and dust devils formed).
Day 2
The day started later due to low clouds. Once they broke, competitors reached full altitude — but faced even stronger winds aloft than the day before. As the team was preparing to load for competition Round 7, the meet was weathered out due to dust devils and turbulent surface winds. Despite not completing all eight rounds, the competition ran smoothly. There were no technical issues requiring rejumps, and no altitude violations by the pilots. Everyone was safe and had a great time.
Making History
Quan Gan is the first and only speed skydiver to represent China since the ISSA began tracking athlete competition performances in 2000. This is significant because there are currently no claimed FAI Asian Continental Speed Skydiving records (see current FAI records). Quan’s performances over the weekend therefore represent the Asian continent’s best highest average speed at 317.68 km/h (G-1), highest overall average speed at 297.87 km/h (G-1), and maximum vertical speed without a drogue at 320.90 km/h (G-2). (However, because this ISSA meet did not have the judges necessary to ratify these records, they are not official.)
Scores and Podium
OPEN
1st – Niklas Daniel (USA)
2nd – Mervyn O’Connell (AUS)
3rd – Brianne Thompson (USA)
FEMALE
1st – Brianne Thompson (USA)
MASTERS (≥50 years old)
1st – Joel Williamson (USA)
2nd – Paul Wetzel (USA)
Quan and Paul, who are new to competing at speed, will see their performances added to the ISSA’s Eternal Ranking list, which tracks athlete’s competion performances around the globe.
Special thanks to Michael at Flysight for providing the competition units, and to our remote judging team: Toby Adams and Alix Raymond.
Thank you to every competitor — and especially to Mervyn, who traveled here from the other side of the planet. LEGEND. The sportsmanship and camaraderie were unmistakable all weekend.
Special thanks as well to the Skydive Arizona staff and pilots who made this event possible. Training for and competing in ISSA events is a great way to learn and gain exposure to speed skydiving. For information about future events and coaching, visit www.AXISFlightSchool.com.
Upcoming World Championships
Skydive Arizona will host the 6th FAI World Skydiving Championships of Speed Skydiving in October (see bid).
Eloy is the place to train, and to get coaching.
One more thing: please donate to the USA Speed Skydiving Parachute Team! Every gift makes a difference.
Interested in competing at an ISSA event in the United States? Good news: Patrick Kessler and Lauren Pfeifer will be hosting an ISSA event at Chicago Skydiving Center (CSC) on July 17–19. For more information and to register, click here. AXIS will host the ISSA World Cup Series Finals on December 12–13 at Skydive Arizona.
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