Some wingsuits go up, sometimes. It has been this way for a while. For a few years now we have seen GPS data of wingsuits gaining altitude, we have seen video of it, and we have seen skepticism. Not that the skeptics matter. What matters is the feeling, and the feeling is good. For that reason, we put together a little team outing in the desert where we all passed the same landmark and booted it back up into the sky as best we could. It was an amazing day with friends, and this video shows a bit of the fun that we had.

The South African National Championships have come to a close and Squirrel pilots have once again swept the podium. Big congrats to Pierre Marais Badenhorst, Oliver Nothen, and Andrew de Jonge, who finished within a few points of each other but well ahead of the rest of the field.

The first Wide Open Wingsuit Series Championship event wrapped up yesterday at Skydive Perris, CA. Both speed and Distance Podiums were all Squirrel. This was the final event of the first season, which featured three Regional races at Chicagoland Skydiving Center, Skydive Perris, and Skydive Kapowsin. All WOWS races are 4-Cross format, where pilots race head-to-head through elimination brackets. A $3,000 championship prize purse was supported by sponsors (Squirrel) and competitor entry fees.

If you’d like to compete in a 2017 Season event, head to www.wingsuitrace.org and register. The comp format is friendly with an emphasis on sportsmanship and camaraderie.

It is inspiring and encouraging to see so many pilots invest in their skillset by attending these events. The 4-Cross format is exciting and relevant and it is a lot of fun to train for, together with your friends! Big thanks to Joe Ridler for organizing the heck out of this event, and the entire series. Curt Vogelsang, Mike Cook, Natalie Stella, and Andy Clement were indispensable.

Congrats to the winners! Full results can be seen here.

Congrats to our friend, Alexey Galda, who took first overall at the TonySuits Z-Hills Performance Cup. Joseph Likierman was just three-tenths of a percentage point behind him, in second place. Both flew their CR+ onto the podium. Alexey reported that the ambience at the event was positive and supportive, and Tony & Co. were very gracious hosts. Full results can be seen here. Alarmingly (for anyone who likes to stand on performance podiums), Alexey’s first comp was only one year ago and since then he has taken the US national title and placed 6th at the world champs – watch out for this guy. Thanks to everyone involved, and nice work!

It’s all coming together. We’re excited to announce the merger of Squirrel BASE Equipment & Asylum Designs. Martin Tilley has joined the Squirrel Team as Manager of BASE Equipment production and BASE Education, and the two companies are now in a fully collaborative effort on R&D, product design, production, and training. Marty’s career in BASE manufacturing and rigging spans three decades and he brings deep experience and a more traditional outlook on equipment design and construction to the Squirrel team. Squirrel’s innovative push into BASE equipment has been one of the most potent developments in the BASE industry to date. Combining our forces will transform the Squirrel range, increase the availability of Asylum equipment and set the foundation for a new education program that services jumpers from FJC level to advanced WS BASE techniques.

The CRUX harness/container system will be the first product released from this new collaboration. The CRUX is an all-around versatile container system that is designed for all types of BASE jumping, from no-slider jumps to wingsuit BASE and everything in between. It will be available to order in the first weeks of 2017.

The Squirrel and Asylum merger creates the largest R&D Team in the sport. Martin Tilley will now oversee all BASE products for both companies. BASE equipment will be co-designed and developed by Martin, Will Kitto, and Simon Perriard, aided by Matt Gerdes and Mike Steen. Squirrel team pilots and test jumpers – the biggest team in the industry – will continue to give critical feedback on all products.

Squirrel wingsuit management, design, and production, remains unchanged. The merger affects only Squirrel BASE harness/container systems, parachutes, and accessories.

Matt G: “I started jumping Asylum gear in 2004, and what I noticed first was Marty’s eagerness to support jumpers, and his attention to detail not only in his equipment but also in the way he interacted with me and others. Every conversation we had about anything related to BASE was in depth and showed a level of care and attention that cannot be found anywhere else. He goes out of his way to inform people and when you see someone with an Asylum container on their back, oftentimes it’s a safe assumption that they’re “in the know”. Asylum isn’t exactly underground, but almost kind of is – the people who have been jumping his gear for years are generally the most experienced and the most dedicated in our sport. I still have my Perigee Pro and Profile harness/containers, and I will never sell them”.

Mike Steen: “Marty is known for being obsessed with the details of gear and rigging, but also with creating informed BASE jumpers. He goes above and beyond with every customer interaction, and it shows in the people who use his gear. His harness/containers are famous for being the most polished and the most finely finished pieces of equipment in BASE. We’re looking forward to having his influence on all of our BASE equipment.

Martin Tilley: "I’ve known and worked with Matt for over ten years and I’ve been watching Squirrel’s progress very closely since 2012. Squirrel has become known for fresh ideas, excellent service, and fast delivery times, and their growth has been interesting to observe. In some ways, our approaches to the sport couldn’t be more different, but in many other ways they are perfectly aligned and run parallel to each other. Each brand fills gaps in the other brand’s mission, and together, complete, we are going to have a lot more to offer to our customers and friends. Today’s BASE world is much different than the years of past, with an increased volume of jumpers, access, sites and equipment choice. I have witnessed the expansion for all the good reasons, as well as seen what distilled knowledge enables. This decision to combine our talents arrives at a time when it is most needed. Our goals are many, but our priority is the safety and function of equipment and generating a consensus of increased education and heightened participant performance."

Congrats to Noah Bahnson, Will Kitto, and Andy Farrington, who shared this year’s Aces podium. The 2016 championships wrapped up with an all Squirrel podium, an All Squirrel top 8, and 15 out of the top 16 pilots flying Squirrel. The C-RACE was by far the dominant choice of the competition.

Here at Squirrel we have worked hard to provide our team pilots with the best tools for the job, whether it’s a competition or just a raging freestyle flight. The performance of our wingsuits speaks for itself, but we work equally hard on improving comfort and ease of use across our range.

We’d like to send out a heartfelt thanks to all of the pilots who continue to support us on this journey, it is our honor to be able to support them in turn. Here’s to many more years of hard work and dedication!

• 1st. Noah Bahnson, USA
• 2nd. Will Kitto, USA
• 3rd. Andy Farrington, USA
• 4th. Sebastian Alvarez, CHI
• 5th. Matt Gerdes, USA
• 6th. Chris Geiler, Australia
• 7th. Todd Davis, USA
• 8th. Mike Steen, USA

The first ever FAI World Championships of Performance Flying have wrapped up in Florida, with Squirrel team pilot, Chris Geiler, taking home the gold. Espen Fadness took bronze, and both flew their CR+ to the podium. Chris led the competion from the first round to the last, and finished with a whopping ten point lead over second place. Five of the top ten pilots flew the Squirrel CR+ in the event.

Team USA deserves special mention for having every member in the top quarter of the field. Full results can be seen here.