What is Blade Running?

Blade Running competitions were born in 1996 when Montana resident BJ Worth organized the first event at a ski resort in Big Sky, Montana. Worth, who was a stuntman and president of the International Parachuting Committee, got the idea for Blade Running while filming a parachute stunt over a ski resort in California

Blade runners (swoopers) use parachutes with a relatively small surface area (between 70-135 square feet) and fly down a mountain through a “Super G” type slalom course while skimming the surface. Blade runners either skydive from a aircraft or launch themselves into flight (ground launching) from the top of a mountain.

The Blade Running course is defined using a series of vertical flags called “airblades”. Flying a parachute through a Super G course made of airblades is called “Blade running”. Swoopers are judged on speed as they negotiate the challenging Blade Running course.

What is Swooping?

Swooping is a sport where aerial athletes (parachutists) jump from an aircraft or launch themselves from a mountaintop and fly high performance parachutes through slalom type courses set up over water or down a ski slope. High performance parachute pilots perform what is known as parachute “swooping”. Swooping is the act of skimming a high performance parachute across the ground for long periods of time.

Swooping is an extreme sport with high spectator, sponsor and athlete appeal. Swooping is also recognized by the United States Parachute Association, the International Parachuting Committee and the World Swooping Association. Annual events include the Nationals, World Cup and a World Championships.

What is the history of Swooping?

The history of swooping goes way back and nobody knows for sure which parachutist in time started doing it first. We do know however that the first swoop competition was organized by BJ Worth who was a stuntman in Hollywood and got the idea for Blade running (flying parachutes through a course down a mountain) while filming a skydiving stunt over a ski resort. We would like to also point out that BJ Worth became the President of the United States Parachute Association and the International Parachuting Committee.

BJ organized the 1st Blade running swoop competition in 1996 at a ski resort in Big Sky, Montana. That same year a couple of skydivers at a drop zone in Gardiner, NY organized the 1st pond swooping competition just miles from the original location of Woodstock. These competitions continued for a few years but it didn't become an tour with structure until 2000 when Jim Slaton formed the Para-Performance Pro Blade Tour. Then in 2003 Jim formed the Pro Swooping Tour.

Jim (along with Lyle Presse) and the Pro Swooping Tour was instrumental in getting Canopy Piloting (a.k.a swooping) accepted by the United States Parachute Association and the International Parachute Committee. The PST organized the IPC's 1st World Cup of Canopy Piloting later that same year. In 2004 Jim created the amateur swoop League called the CPC (Canopy Piloting Circuit). The CPC has now become the premier amateur swooping league and the gateway for pilots wishing to get their "pro" classification. In 2005 Jim created the World Swooping Association for further development of swooping at the world level.

What is the Pro Swooping Tour?

Developed in 1999, the Pro Swooping Tour (PST) is the premier swooping competition circuit in the United States and is sanctioned by the World Swooping Association. The PST organizes the "Blade running Series" and holds multiple professional swoop events each year to determine the top athletes in the sport. PST pilots must hold a “Pro” classification, which requires them to train and qualify for the tour. PST pilots earn points for their competition performance, which is used to determine their overall ranking on the tour.

What is the World Swooping Association?

The World Swooping Association (WSA) is the an authority on all Swooping, Canopy Piloting and Blade running activities. The WSA is dedicated to the development of these sports worldwide. The WSA provides guidance and advice to its members around the world on matters such as competition, judging, coaching, and other areas of development of the sport.

What type of media coverage does this sport get?

The sport of Swooping has received media exposure on NBC’s Today Show, Fuel TV, Current TV, MTV, OLN network, Sports Illustrated, L.A. Times, Denver Times, National Geographic Adventurer and many other trade magazines and local newspapers around the country.

How many athletes attend a Blade running event?

Blade Running is a very popular event among swoopers and is widely accepted as the “super bowl” of swooping competitions. The event usually draws between 30-40 competitors but has seen attendance as high as 70.

What is the average experience level of Blade running athletes?

Blade running competitors are between 21-35 years of age have between 2,000-10,000 parachute flights, average 7 years in the sport and are members of both the Pro Swooping Tour, United States Parachuting and World Swooping Associations.

Do I have to learn to skydive to learn Blade running?

Absolutely not! You can take a course and learn to ground launch parachutes. The Ground Launch Center is the premier parachute facility when it comes to teaching ground launching and the art of Swooping. For more information check out our "training center" link at the top of the page.

What type of slopes are used for Blade running competitions?

Blade Running courses are set up on a single or double black diamond (60-65 degrees) ski trail with at least 1,200 feet of vertical run. The course is typically set up in a wide open area above any tree line and free of obstacles.  

What are the dimensions of a Blade running course?

The Blade running course is typically 1,200-1,500 feet long and 30 feet wide. The vertical markers that define the course are 10-13 feet tall.