Skydive Spain is proud to be one of the main training dropzones for two top athletes on the wingsuit´s scene: Jarno Cordia and Jenna Gygi, from team flylikebrick. We take the opportunity to sit for a few minutes with Jarno to see how things are going and what´s on their competitive calendar.
Life is good! We just got back from a super week of training at Skydive Spain for the world championships and we are flying to Seville again in 1,5 week for more.
I love the dropzone, and I love the weather!
On the average training day we tend to do 5 to 6 jumps. Though its of course possible to do more, the full focus and ability to process and learn from what you are doing seems to have a limit. Doing more jumps a day, you tend to learn less, and also get affected by tiredness more. Making jumps less effective. But at the moment, the world is slowly becoming the happy place we were used to before all that started! When we’re not flying, I still tend to be busy a lot with our training. Analyzing video, thinking about certain figures, and how to approach them in a way where we fly it just a bit smoother, and thus faster.
Mainly trying to stay fit, and at the moment trying to get our weight to match up a bit more.
Im a bit over 20 kg heavier than my teammate Jenna, which is no problem in our flying, even with the same wingsuit.
But of course the more we manage to match, the easier it all becomes.
I think there are very few cons. The cameraman is of course also an integral part of the team, making it more than just a pair.
Main challenge is probably getting our agenda to match with our cameraman. We have around 5 weeks of training skydiving the coming 2 months, of which 2 full weeks with our cameraman. The other 3 are mainly focused on us practicing the compulsory figures, trying to give everything equal attention.
Main advantage to having a steady teammate is that you always know the tempo you fly, you can read a look, you know how the exits will go. There is a trust and connection in the air, that actually allow you to enjoy the jumps a lot more. Knowing you don’t have to worry about the other one.
It’s an invaluable contribution. Without someone else pushing you. Driving you. Motivating you. It would be very difficult.
Having someone with an equal passion for what you do, it just turns every jump into an absolute joy. And it 100% has made me a better flyer!
I think we both work off eachother in the same way. And in all our progression, there is never one person clearly better than the other.
We do both have our individual strengths, but those just help drive the other ones performance up to the same level. Always learning!
Regardless if its actual competition, or just practicing the various figures and making up cool free rounds.
Flying with a steady partner, and doing dedicated training will drive your skills up to a higher level, and make you progress beyond what you can achieve with regular funjumping. Having goals in flying, it really helps motivate you, and also creates a much clearer path with regards to things you can practice and train for.
The main competition ahead is the world championships, coming up in a bit over 2,5 months.
We already trained hard for that last year (when it got cancelled/moved) and now are really seizing every opportunity we have to train.
The level at this kind of events mean that you can’t just show up with a few jumps of training and a lot of fun jumping and flocking on the side.
If you want to aim for the podium at a world championship, every single jump you get to make, should be used to train and prepare.
I enjoy the training jumps and the level we fly at so much that I see these jumps not as a mandatory thing, but as an actual ‘fun jump’ that I would choose over a flock any day of the week. The only thing I enjoy equally much is teaching, as there also you get to work with people in a similar way. Really focus on skills, and push them forward to learn new things. Seeing someone nail backflying for the first time, or manage a new transition or carve. It’s the smiles that make your day!
We’ve had many wingsuit competitions both indoor and outdoors. And all of them are equally rewarding.
But so far the most memorable event was Ravenna, as the international stage tends to have the most fierce competitors, sharing the same drive and goals.
Being able to come out on top, in such a playing field, that is what you’re training for all year. In the end, its funny enough not the prize or podium that’s our personal aim. Even if we’d come 4th or 5th, we would be happy knowing another team trained harder and accomplished more, as long as we did all we could and we showed the best flying we have in us. The medals are not a thing you tend to look at too often, but the video from various competitions, showing our level of flying at that point, and how from competition to competition it is taking steps up and forward every single time. That’s the true reward!
Skydive Spain is an amazing dropzone. Very happy ‘family’ vibe. No huge ego’s running around the dropzone. A nice big landing area. Clear blue skies.
And with regards to training, always having 15.000 ft, and dedicated competition jump runs just makes all the difference. Having the early morning starts in summer, and being able to hit the swimming pool at 3 to relax is the cherry on top! We are looking at offering 1 on 1 coaching and various events at the dropzone the coming summer, fall and winter. Check www.flylikebrick.com for more information.
I enjoy heading into the mountains with Jenna for long hikes, and then taking the wingsuit for the way back down. I enjoy creative work, be it graphics or video, and I enjoy writing. Having just finished an actual book on wingsuit flying, which should be coming out in June. Lots of things happening!
– Thanks for the chat Jarno, it´s always a pleasure having you and Jenna among us. Good luck on the world championships!!
Jarno Cordia / Jenna Gygi
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