SAM WOLFE sam.wolfe@scripps.com Roopesh Nagarj looks out the back of a DHC-6 Twin Otter airplane before taking part in a jump during the second day of the Cross Keys Invasion at Skydive Sebastian on Friday afternoon.

photo provided by JOHN CAMPBELL A group of skydivers fall through the skies over Sebastian on the second day of jumps during the Cross Keys Invasion at Skydive Sebastian.

Hundreds of skydivers ready to soar in Sebastian

SEBASTIAN — Professional skydiver Jay Moledzki of Toronto can travel almost 100 mph after free-falling out of an airplane, and zoom 80 mph while hovering 5 feet above the ground and covering a distance of two football fields.

He's made more than 8,000 parachute jumps on numerous continents. At such speeds, a slight shrug of his shoulder can send him spiraling out of his intended path.

But the scariest part of skydiving, he says, is the drive to the airplane hangar.

"Driving a car is hundreds of times more dangerous than skydiving," Moledzki said.

Moledzki, who won the world skydiving championship in Germany in 2005, is among the more than 300 skydivers who have gathered at Skydive Sebastian at Sebastian Airport for two weeks of diving called the 2006 Cross Keys Invasion — including formation dives in which up to 40 people will link up in the sky.

The event includes the PD/Fastrax Challenge at the Sebastian Beach Inn on Jan. 5-6, in which skydivers will be dropped over the ocean and "swoop" in front of spectators on the beach, with $10,000 in prize money up for grabs.

Moledzki, 33, who set a world speed record of 80 mph at the 2006 World Championships in Vienna, Austria, said the evolution of parachutes has brought skydiving closer to its fans.

In the past, cumbersome umbrella-style parachutes covered more than 200 square feet and floated "like a dandelion in the wind," Moledzki said. But modern, lightweight nylon canopies are speedier because they can cover just 75 square feet — in fact, Moledzki's gear weighs just 19 pounds.

"In the past, spectators would look up and see a skydiver thousands of feet up in the sky, but it felt detached," Moledzki said. "With high-performance swooping, when a competitor comes by you at 70-80 mph, your heart jumps into your chest and you become connected."

Kimberley Worthington of England, a skydiving instructor based in Deland, says the Sebastian beach landings will help increase awareness of the sport.

"A lot of times, competitions have been held in airports, and the only real spectators are the competitors themselves," Worthington said. "As soon as the public sees this event, they'll want to come back for more."

Worthington said anyone curious about skydiving can pay $150 for a jump, which can be done within two hours, in tandem with an instructor.

Professional competitors, known as "canopy pilots," can make a living at the sport through sponsorships and prize money. Moledzki said he competed in 12 countries this year and is gearing up for the 2007 world championships in Sydney, Australia.

In their competitions, the pilots are graded on speed, distance and accuracy as they cruise horizontally above the ground.

"It's like driving a Formula One car," Moledzki said.

Moledzki said he first jumped out of a plane at 21, and found the experience "life-altering."

"I was expecting to do something scary and dangerous, and instead I drove away feeling alive and invigorated and wanting to do more with my life," Moledzki said.

Moledzki, whose sponsors include parachute maker Performance Designs Inc. of Deland and harness manufacturer Sun Path Products of Zephyrhills, said millions of people throughout the world skydive as a hobby.

But aerobatic canopy pilots who can track along a 3-inch-wide path while hovering at 70 mph are the "showpiece of the sport," Moledzki said.

"It takes a lot of practice," he said.

IF YOU GO:
What: 2006 Cross Keys Invasion
When: Saturday through Jan. 10
Where: Skydive Sebastian, 400 W. Airport Drive