The International Skydiving Museum & Hall of Fame recognizes there are entities that have played a prominent role in the growth and development of the sport of skydiving making them worthy of special recognition.
The Pioneers of Excellence Award recognizes entities, including groups, companies, organizations and teams, for significant contributions of enduring high value to the world of skydiving made in the 1970s and before.
Those who played a pivotal role in the 1980s and after are recognized through the Path of Excellence Award.
Nomination Criteria
Eligible candidates include teams, companies, organizations or groups that have made exceptional and noteworthy contributions to the sport of skydiving in the form of development, evolution, and preservation of skydiving through:
- Innovation
- Performance and/or Competitive Excellence
- Leadership
- Education
- Safety
- Sponsorship and/or Philanthropy
- Aviation
- Design, Invention, and/or Manufacturing
- Sport Promotion
- Photography/Videography
Annual Nomination Deadline: February 1
How to Nominate an Entity
- Complete the nomination form in its entirety.*
- Part 1: Nominee Information
- Part 2: Narrative
- Part 3: Nominator Information
- All nominations must be typed and be as concise as possible.
- Incomplete forms will not be considered.
- Nominations must be received by February 1 to be eligible for review.
- Once a nomination is received, it will remain on file for consideration.
- All nominations will be thoroughly vetted.
- All nominations are confidential.
Please email us to see if an entity has previously been nominated.
*There are two options to nominate someone. You may submit the nomination on-line (which includes the option to save drafts prior to submission) and downloading the form.
Selection Procedure
After being vetted for accuracy, the following vital supporters of the International Skydiving Museum & Hall of Fame are eligible to vote:
- Museum Trustees
- Museum Trustees-at-Large
- Museum Ambassadors
- Members of the International Skydiving Hall of Fame
- Previous Pioneers of Excellence Award Recipients
- Major Supporters
- International Skydiving Commission Delegates
- Chairs of Parachute Industry Association Committees
- Select prominent members of the global skydiving community
Voting
Each individual participating in the selection procedure may vote for their top three candidates as follows:
- First Choice: 3 points
- Second Choice: 2 points
- Third Choice: 1 point
The top three nominees along with their vote totals will then be provided to the International Skydiving Museum Path & Pioneers of Excellence Selection Committee to decide, by way of discussion and vote, which entity will receive the Pioneers of Excellence Award.
The Pioneers of Excellence Award recipient will be ratified by the full International Skydiving Museum & Hall of Fame Board of Trustees.
Past Recipients
- 2025 – The 1975 US Freefall Exhibition Team
- 2024 – Jerry Birds All Stars
- 2023 – The Golden Knights
- 2022 – US Freefall Exhibition Team
- 2021 – Para Gear Equipment Co.
