The 2023 Path of Excellence Award Goes To…

Skydivers Over Sixty (SOS) was founded in the USA in March 1992, a few months after Pat Moorehead reached the age of sixty. SOS now has over 2,650 members from 30 countries.

SOS has inspired skydivers of “a certain age” to remain active in the sport – or to rejoin the fun after years of not jumping because of various issues.  SOS includes people with thousands of jumps and some with just a few, and they do what they do because of the camaraderie and good times.  SOS takes great pride in knowing that many skydivers who reach this special age continue to hone their skills and actively participate in POPS and SOS competitions around the world.  The World POPS Meet has, for many years, included a SOS Division, and the U.S. World SOS teams have collected gold several times.  The U.S. chapter has also inspired many other countries to form their own versions of SOS with the same results…camaraderie and good times.  SOS members truly believe that “60 is the new 40!”

SOS has donated over $32,000.00 to the U.S.Team Trust Fund, over $5,000 to the International Skydiving Museum, other donations to the USPA Safety fund, and others. Seventy five percent of all membership fees has always gone to these causes and others.

SOS will be honored at the Path of Excellence BBQ sponsored by Sun Path Products Inc. during the 2023 Hall of Fame Celebration at Skydive Arizona the weekend of October 5 – 7.

Photo on top: the very first SOS 10-way accomplished at Umatilla, Florida, on March 20, 1992 at the annual POPS Spring Meet. Kneeling from top left to right: Len Zak, Danny Hupert, Max Miensopust, Lew Sanborn, Tom Morrison.  Standing left to right Walter Ross, G. D. Williams, Bill Wood, Bob Sinclair, Pat Moorehead

Photo on bottom:  SOS was able to complete a 1-point 101-way on Saturday 4/15/2023 beating the previous record of a 75-way at Chicago in 2018. Then they wondered why stop there? So they went back up and completed a 2-point 95-way on Sunday 4/16/2023 beating the last record of a 60-way at Perris in 2017.  Photo by Norman Kent