Skydiving Patches You Can Collect at Skydive Perris

Skydiving Patches

Skydiving is often perceived as a serious, all-or-nothing activity that requires intensity and commitment. While this is certainly true, skydivers are a bunch that know how to balance fun with focus. After all, we wouldn’t keep jumping out of airplanes if it wasn’t a good time! 

Every dropzone develops its own traditions around safety and play, and Skydive Perris is no exception! Whether it’s our annual Safety Day seminar or weather-hold shenanigans, we have our very own culture that makes our dropzone unique. These traditions help new jumpers feel welcome and old jumpers stay connected, and they make us all family. 

Something extra special that we have at Skydive Perris is our skydiving patches. These patches are a way for experienced skydivers to commemorate significant, fun, or even goofy jumps that they participate in with our Load Organizers. Read on to learn how the patch system works and some of the awesome patches you might see skydivers sporting around the dropzone!

Types of Skydiving Patches Fun Jumpers Can Earn

While our patches are unique to the Perris Load Organizers’ jumps, skydiving patches are not a new concept. Different organizations, clubs, and records have been using patches to signify belonging since the beginning of the sport. And just like our system, some of these patches are serious and some are silly. 

Typically, in order to earn a patch, a skydiver must participate in a jump following the official rules of that patch. For example, one of the oldest and most well-known skydiving patches is the Bob Buquor Memorial Star Crest Award (SCR). In October 1965, at the Arvin DZ in California, jumpers formed the first-ever 8-way freefall formation. As a result, the SCR award was created in 1967, and since that day, SCR numbers and patches have been issued to skydivers who document joining an 8-way or larger formation.

Many more patches and awards have sprung up throughout the years, including recognition for records, joining certain skydiving clubs, and even jumping while naked!

The patch system at Skydive Perris follows the same framework as the historical skydiving patches, and most are earned by making some specific kind of jump with one of our Load Organizers. Certain patches, though, are only given to people under certain circumstances that occur during a jump, like a premature exit, for example.

The Skydiving Patches of Perris

Here’s a list of just some of the patches skydivers can earn only at Skydive Perris – but keep an eye out, more are added all the time!

Burblicious

The Burblicious Patch honors any skydiver who’s brave enough to take part in a challenging 4-way skydive that requires a lot of movement and body control. Created by Jim Dinning, this jump is all about fun!!

Da’Bob Special

True to its name, the jump and patch were created by Bob Ferguson and require prospective earners to participate in a 6-way skydive with lots of flying, movement, and success!

Hula Hoop Jump

This jump is a skydiver favorite and a great way to combine fun with skill. Two skydivers exit the plane holding a hula hoop while the other people on the skydive attempt to fly through the hoop like dogs in a show!

Anyone who successfully makes it through the hoop earns a patch! It is one of the favorite jumps on the Fresh Meet Sunday Funf’Air!

Danielle’s Apple Jack Ass

This jump combines formation skydiving with fun objects. Skydivers must create a caterpillar formation in the sky while passing a small, squishy apple down the line.

Sh*t Show

Arguably the easiest patch to earn, the Sh*t Show patch is given to anyone who has taken part in a less-than-refined skydive. Whether you have one or one thousand skydives, you can earn this patch as long as you’re willing to admit your jump was a bit of a sh*t show!

PJ Jump

Some patches commemorate traditions that happen on a regular basis, like wearing footie pajamas on a jump! Every year in February, jumpers at Skydive Perris make a jump in their pajamas to earn this accolade. 

Bimbo’s Air Salon

Some patches require more advanced skills than others, and this one requires a steady hand. Smear some lipstick on one of three mannequin heads (Sabina, Agnes, or Lupe) held by Load Organizer Danielle Barlow to prove your abilities and earn this patch!

Waltzing Spiders

Created by Bob Ferguson, this patch signifies participation in a successful 5-way jump that includes one full revolution around the “spider.” It’s a great skydive to learn basic skills and get to know other newer jumpers.

Bonus: This patch is offered in pink and blue!

I Finally Stopped Looking for Catalina Island

There’s a lot to look at up there, but connecting with the other skydivers in the air with you is key to a successful jump. Also created by Bob Ferguson, this patch is for newer skydivers who finally understand the power of eye contact instead of looking around for Catalina Island! 

Mr. Potato Head Jump

Skydivers love incorporating props and games into their jumps to keep things interesting. One of the most popular versions of this schtick includes one skydiver holding the body of a Mr. Potato Head while other skydivers attempt to attach his body parts! All a skydiver has to do to earn this patch is successfully attach one of Mr. Potato Head’s parts to his body. Luckily, the placement of the body part doesn’t have to be perfect.

Caution: Premature Plane Release Member

Some patches are designed to poke a little fun at the common mistakes jumpers make while learning the ropes. Falling off the plane is a harmless and silly misstep that can happen as people are getting into position to exit, and if a skydiver gets caught stumbling out the door, they’ll get tagged with one of these patches!

Insider info: This patch was Inspired by Grace Katz’s 1000th jump – it’s not just newbies who goof up sometimes! 

Official Crotch Docker

Believe it or not, this patch is exactly what it sounds like. It can be earned by intentionally (with express consent!) or unintentionally (grabbing hands can get unruly in 120 mph winds) docking on someone else’s crotch in freefall. The act must be documented by photo or video to qualify, and even comes with initiation into an exclusive club: Skydiving Crotch Dockers. 

The Secret Society of Chicken Chokers

Skydivers love to be goofy, and there’s no better evidence of that than this patch invented by Mr. John “BULLY” Bull (Air Trash). To earn this patch, a group of skydivers must take a rubber chicken along on their jump and pass it from one skydiver to the next. Each skydiver that successfully receives and passes the rubber chicken gets a secret society number! 

See: Skydiving Chicken Chokers

Barbie Bagger

In a similar vein, this patch was created because girls don’t choke chickens. The requirements are the same, but Barbie (or Ken) replaces the rubber chicken in this tradition.

Check out Skydiving Barbie Baggers to peep the group.

Highest Slip ’n Slide

Once a year, during the Summer SkyRave, skydivers can earn this patch by sliding out the back of a Skyvan on a slip ’n slide. What? Not only do you get to do the most epic Slip ’n Slide of your life, but you also receive a memento of it? Only at Skydive Perris!

Are you ready to start earning your own airborne accolades? Book your jump today and find out where you belong! Blue skies!

Related Article: At Our Very Core, Who Are Skydivers?

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