The International Skydiving Museum & Hall of Fame is proud to honor Arizona Airspeed as the museum’s 2021 Path of Excellence Award recipient.
The original Airspeed team was formed with one goal in mind: to bring the 4-way World Championship Sword “Excalibur” back to the USA. But once the team was together we realized we could do more, wanted to do more. We wanted to push our sport to new levels and share everything we learned with anyone who would listen. We loved and appreciated our skydiving family and wanted to contribute to that community by sharing our love for this amazing sport with them. In victory and defeat we strived to be like the athletes and sportsman we admired. We believed, and still do, that from the time every person who shares this crazy passion for human flight walks on to a drop zone, they should be treated like family with love and respect. All this was more important than winning. But we wanted it all. We wanted to do all this and win. And I’m proud to say we often did.
But we had no idea what we had started. With the unending support of the Hill Family and Skydive Arizona, the team was able to continue long past its original line up. Some members stayed on and picked up new teammates. The new teammates became the veterans and trained rookies. The team built and rebuilt. Airspeed members developed the unique skill of being able to see the soul of a world champion in a young competitor. They knew how to turn that soul loose.
For 27 years, the Airspeed teams have inspired and motivated skydivers of all disciplines and levels. The sport has been richer for all they’ve contributed. Each Airspeed teammate has had the chance to become a better athlete and more importantly a better person because of what the sport and our community has given us. For this, we are forever grateful. – Dan BC
