Yong Chisholm
D-21693
Awarded 2020
For being a pioneering female skydiver, instructional rating holder and competitor and for having a standout career marked by selflessness, caring, humility, enormous skill and a commitment to excellence.
Kurt Gaebel
D-18635
Awarded 2020
For connecting and inspiring formation skydivers in the U.S. and worldwide by hosting competitions, providing news coverage and promoting the sport through the National Skydiving League for 20-plus years.
Bryan Burke
D-8866
Awarded 2019
For three decades of helping improve the safety of the sport by analyzing and sharing accident data and developing procedures for landing and airspace safety; and for serving as meet director for countless national and international competitions.
Kirk Knight
D-6709
Awarded 2019
For over 40 years of dedication to skydiving, both military and civilian, as an international judge, competitor and role model, and for his immense contributions to the International Skydiving Museum and Hall of Fame.
Thomas Jenkins
D-7707
Awarded 2019
For 39 years of dedicated service to skydiving as an instructor, competitor, judge, organizer, mentor and motivator; and for showing a steadfast commitment to skydivers around the world by developing safe practices and leading by example.
-posthumously-
Greg Windmiller
D-20004
Awarded 2018
For representing true sportsmanship in the U.S. and international skydiving communities as a U.S. Army Golden Knight, multiple national champion, world record holder and U.S. Team leader and for promoting safety as an instructor and canopy piloting coach.
Michael Horan
D-881
Awarded 2018
For his instrumental role in preserving the history of skydiving and USPA by serving as the organization’s archivist, assembling more than a century of the sport’s history and sharing the information freely with USPA and the skydiving community.
Robert Stumm
D-3604
Awarded 2018
For helping grow the sport by instructing and mentoring countless students, dedicating themselves to running a club drop zone, fostering a culture of safety both at their home DZ and beyond and being pillars in the Wisconsin skydiving community for decades.
(jointly awarded with Mary Bauer)
Mary Bauer
D-8123
Awarded 2018
For helping grow the sport by instructing and mentoring countless students, dedicating themselves to running a club drop zone, fostering a culture of safety both at their home DZ and beyond and being pillars in the Wisconsin skydiving community for decades.
(jointly awarded with Bob Stumm)
Robert Laidlaw
D-32405
Awarded 2016
Robert Laidlaw, D-32405, owner of Skydiving University, Inc. in Deland, FL, for more than forty years of advancing training methods producing professional, highly skilled skydiving coaches and instructors, and for sharing that knowledge with USPA for our student and instructional rating programs.
Bill Jones
D-924
Awarded 2016
Bill Jones, D-924, for owning numerous drop zones around the world to promote and devote his efforts to implement innovating skydiving training and equipment safety for military and civilian students.
Kate Cooper-Jensen
D-7333
Awarded 2015
For advancing big-way formation skydiving throughout the U.S. and abroad as an organizer and multiple world-record holder. Over the decades, Kate has mentored countless skydivers and been a role model to women skydivers around the world.
Alicia Moorehead
D-9821
Awarded 2015
For volunteering for 28 years for the Parachutists Over Phorty Society, serving as USA TopPOP #9, World TopPOP #2 and POPS records administrator: for spreading goodwill around the globe and encouraging others to skydive in their later years.
Carolyn The Queen Clay
D-3347
Awarded 2015
For more than 45 years of skydiving and inspiring jumpers around the world as a competitor, record holder and organizer: for mentoring new skydivers and serving as a role model to women entering the sport.
Roger Ponce de Leon
D-5104
Awarded 2014
For forty-six years, Roger “Ponce” has advanced skydiving as a leader and participant on numerous large formation world records, and promoted skydiving as a coach and load organizer throughout the world.
Pat Works
D-1813
Awarded 2013
For over 50-years of contribution as a teacher, innovator, author, competitor - and for encouraging and inspiring countless skydivers to advance their skills and find joy in the blue sky.
Perry Stevens
B-106
Awarded 2012
D-51, is recognized for Meritorious Achievement for his reserve-static-line invention, which has saved many skydivers with quick, reliable openings.
William Wood
D-9085
Awarded 2011
For acting as a true worldwide ambassador of skydiving as both a demonstration jumper and leader of the Parachutists Over Phorty Society, and for earning an international reputation as a traveling good-vibes skydiver.
Jeffrey Steinkamp
A-3451
Awarded 2011
For nearly four decades of service to the competition community as a nationally rated judge and to the accuracy community in particular as an innovator of accuracy events and scoring systems.
Mike Lewis
D-2071
Awarded 2007
For being one of CRW’s original pioneers. Mike Lewis has been an integral part of every aspect of the discipline’s development including safety, equipment, training, competition and organizing the 100-way world record.
Judy Celaya
Awarded 2007
For almost three decades of dedicated contributions to the worldwide skydiving community as a national and international competition judge, judge course director, and ambassador of the sport.
Chris Gay
D-11504
Awarded 2007
For innovations that have redefined the discipline of canopy formation. Chris Gay made the USA the dominant force in international competitions, improved safety and was instrumental in the 100-way world record organization.
Michael Truffer
D-3863
Awarded 2006
For service to the USPA membership as national director and for his vision and guidance in establishing the U.S. Parachute Team Trust Fund, which has and will continue to support those teams for many years.
James Wallace
D-3497
Awarded 2006
In recognition of almost 40 years dedicated to the skydiving community, and especially USPA, with boundless energy and enthusiasm as an instructor, demonstration jumper, U.S. Team member, and movie stuntman.
Norman Kent
D-8369
Awarded 2006
For nearly 30 years of contributions to skydiving and the USPA. Norman’s work has put the highest artistic touch on images of our sport that have been seen by millions.
Thomas Sanders
D-6503
Awarded 2005
For over a quarter of a century of promoting skydiving in general and USPA in particular as a professional aerial photographer, contributing often to the USPA calendar and Parachutist magazine.
Michael McGowan
D-5709
Awarded 2004
For promoting our sport through professional aerial photography as a freefall cameraman, and for his innovation in developing freefall photography techniques.
Fredrick Wenger
D-3774
Awarded 2003
For over thirty years of leadership and support of the skydiving competition community as a board member, judge, team coach, and national and world champion.
Thomas Morrison
D-2273
Awarded 2003
In recognition of more than 40 years as an ambassador for the sport of skydiving worldwide and for serving as an inspiration to skydivers of all ages.
Ted Strong
D-16
Awarded 2002
For almost a half-century of contribution to the skydiving community as a competitor, a sponsor of numerous US parachute teams, and, most notably, his unique innovation in parachute equipment design including the tandem skydiving system and its importance to the growth of the sport in general and USPA in particular.
Bill Booth
D-3546
Awarded 2002
For over three decades of quality parachute equipment design and manufacture, especially his personal contribution to the concept and promotion of the tandem skydiving system.
David DeWolf
D-1046
Awarded 2001
In recognition of your decades of service to the sport as a rigging school operator, seminar host and mentor.
Sandra Williams
D-5829
Awarded 2000
For your unparalleled encouragement to women’s participation in skydiving and helping set the benchmark for achievement in our sport.
Jimmy Godwin
D-126
Awarded 1999
For outstanding and meritorious service to the skydiving community and for sharing his knowledge for over three decades as a Drop Zone owner, rigger examiner, pilot, instructor, and Conference Director.
Jerry Bird
D-3299
Awarded 1999
For outstanding and meritorious service to the skydiving community for over thirty years, inspiring jumpers into becoming competitors and for unselfish training and organizing in the field of relative work.
Lorrie Young
Awarded 1997
In recognition of outstanding achievement as a National and International Judge in all skydiving disciplines. Her unwavering dedication to fairness and integrity brought honor, as well as equality, to the judging profession.