Top-class skydiving event in town soon

MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Mossel Bay residents can look forward to a spectacular event with some of the world's best skydivers showing off their skill from 18 to 24 February at the aerodrome near Aalwyndal.

It is Euro Invasion 2023 - South Africa, organised by legendary skydiver Jörg Schmidt. Euro Invasion 2021 - Namibia, was one of these spectacular events, which take place around the world.

The skydivers, framed against the Namibian desert, made for thrilling photographs. Schmidt has been organising the events for 20 years.

He lives in Germany, but his home drop zone is at Spa, in Belgium. His current status is 7 400 jumps; he has been skydiving for 28 years.

He says: "From my home to Spa is just 30 minutes' drive." He is a member of the Skydive Centre in Spa, where he is the load organiser.

Top photographers

Skydive Mossel Bay spokesperson Monica Biesenbach said: "Most of the skydivers attending are from Europe, with the others coming from the United States, Australia and New Zealand. The world's top skydiving photographers will be here. They only video world champs and they come at an extremely high price."

Biesenbach said Skydive Mossel Bay was super excited to be hosting an international event of this calibre.

"There are different disciplines: free flying, head down, formation skydiving. We have the world champions coming here."

Biesenbach says spectators are invited to come to the Mossel Bay aerodrome, where they can watch the action from the restaurant, Wings.

Besides this, the skydivers will also be landing on the beaches. Biesenbach said: "People will be able to see them landing on Dias Beach and Santos Beach in the afternoon. It is extremely weather dependent."

Contact Bisenbach (082 824 8599) for more information.

Jörg Schmidt

Some of the big names coming to the event:

David Grauwels: Team Hayabusa MNP Belgium, multiple world champion, formation skydiving (FS); indoor and outdoor - 13 000+ skydives.
Grauwels' teammate: Jereon Nollet: Team Hayabusa MNP Belgium, multiple world champion, FS; indoor and outdoor - 7 000+ skydives.
Greg Grozier (9 200+ skydives ) and Karine Joly (7 000+ skydives), Team Airwax France - world champions, free-fly formation skydiving (FFS) including vertical formation skydiving (VFS).
Photographers/Videoflyers, both of them among the best:
Ioannis Vlachiotis: Greece, 8 500+ skydives.
Ewan Cowie: Scotland, 6 000 skydives.