{"id":17928,"date":"2017-04-12T18:04:12","date_gmt":"2017-04-12T18:04:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/skydiveperris.com\/?p=17928"},"modified":"2023-10-29T08:00:40","modified_gmt":"2023-10-29T15:00:40","slug":"the-first-wows-championship-event","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/skydiveperris.com\/blog\/the-first-wows-championship-event\/","title":{"rendered":"The First WOWS Championship Event"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Article by Joe Ridler<\/em> – <\/strong>WOWS is the first ever 4-cross competition series that is \u201copen\u201d, meaning that any qualified wingsuit pilot may register. During the 2016 WOWS competition season, three Regional Events were held around the USA, and the first Wide Open Wingsuit Series (WOWS) Championship Event just wrapped up in Skydive Perris. Thirty two wingsuit pilots battled through a series of elimination brackets in two events: Speed and Distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WOWS speed and distance events are head-to-head, with four-pilots heat racing together to an actual finish line. Regional events use a \u201crabbit\u201d format, where an impartial wingsuit pilot flies base to start the race for the 4-person heat. On the rabbit\u2019s key, the four racers accelerate toward the finish line (usually a road or runway on the ground) and the first to cross wins the heat. Every heat is scored by a FlySight GPS receiver, and oftentimes speed heats are decided by 1\/10 of a second or less, and a distance heat by just one meter. The first two pilots from each heat advance.<\/p>\n\n\n

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For the Championship event, the rabbit is removed from the race design and four pilots from each heat line up on the Skyvan tailgate, facing the line of flight. Once the plane arrives at a pre-determined GPS coordinate, the start-master initiates the drag-racing light-tree. This light counts down in a drag racing format  red, yellow, green, and to red again which lets you know you are too slow off the plane. If a pilot\u2019s foot\/body is still touching the aircraft, it is ruled a false start and they are disqualified from the heat!<\/p>\n\n\n\n