The IBA Global Kids Challenge 2017
For the third year in a row, the IBA has created a worldwide meet for junior flyers aged 6-16 to test their skills and show off their talents on the global stage, from the comfort of their home tunnel. This year, participation went through the roof! With 96 unique participants from 26 tunnels in 11 different countries, competing in 12 2-way FS Advanced teams, 17 2-way FS Intermediate teams, 17 Freestyle Advanced, and 48 Freestyle Intermediate flyers. Some junior flyers, like Ola Soltyk, partecipated also as judges in this edition beside international experienced judges and world champions. The success of the event was a recognition to the visionary idea of Axel Zohmann and to the passionate parents that are supporting their kids in pushing the sport to higher levels year after year. Before going trough results and videos we want to share once again the story about how this all started.
[dt_gap height=”20″ /]The visionary man
The Global Kids Challenge was first thought up by the late and great, Axel Zohmann (join us in supporting Axel’s wife and daughters). Axel’s idea, always the visionary, was to host a competition for kids all around the United States. As a parent to two young daughters himself, he understood the importance of giving flyers a goal to work toward both for the development and for the incentive for the parents. He also understood how tough it can be to travel to a competition, both financially and time-wise. So in 2015, with direction from Axel, then a regional manager for iFLY, the IBA created and ran the first National Kids Competition. Two Canadian tunnels hopped on board as well, bringing the total number of participating wind tunnels to eleven.
Participation was surprisingly high, with 28 teams all competing in the Advanced category. The first ever winner was team Flashpoint from Skyventure Montreal, with a 228 total score after 6 rounds. In second came the Tunnel Devils from iFLY Toronto with 185 points and in third place, team C-Squared from iFLY Austin with 160 points.
[dt_gap height=”20″ /]In 2016, IBA decided to aim a bit higher and changed the name to the IBA Global Kids Challenge. The competition expanded to include the Freestyle discipline, and broke each event into Intermediate and Advanced categories. Four nations were represented by 19 2-way Formation teams and 25 Freestylists. Flashpoint returned to claim the gold medal in 2way FS Advanced, this time increasing their total points to 241. Toronto Tunnel Vision again placed second with 196 points, and another Toronto team captured third with 188 points – a full Canadian sweep! In Freestyle Advanced, Coralie Boudreault of Flashpoint, captured another 2016 gold, followed by Kaitlyn Cummings from Denver, and Jessica Dunn from Naperville. In Freestyle Intermediate, Hannah Lewis from Austin placed first, Aleksandra Kogalovski from Seattle second, and Donovan Fenton from Toronto nabbed the bronze. We are happy to announce the majority of these participants are coming back for the 2017 competition.
IBA and all the community of Indoor Skydiving looks forward to seeing how the competition will evolve in the future. Now it’s time to celebrate the winners and all the participants of 2017.
[dt_gap height=”20″ /]2017 Winners, Score Sheets and Videos
The final results table for the 3rd IBA Global Kids Challenge look like this:
[dt_gap height=”20″ /]Freestyle Advanced
- 1st – Coralie Boudreault – Skyventure Montreal (Canada) 1, 2, 3
- 2nd – Tobias Chaloupka – Hurricane Factory Prague (Czech Republic) 1, 2, 3
- 3rd – Regina Rueda – iFLY Houston Woodlands (United States) 1, 2, 3
- From 4th to 17th: Open or download Full Results in PDF
Freestyle Intermediate
- 1st – Karolìna Henkova – Hurricane Factory Prague (Czech Republic) 1, 2, 3
- 2nd – Denis Ciolek – Hurricane Factory Prague (Czech Republic) 1, 2, 3
- 3rd – Gali Bar – Flybox (Israel) 1, 2, 3
- From 4th to 48th: Open or download Full Results in PDF
2Way Formation Advanced
- 1st – Flashpoint – Skyventure Montreal (Canada) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
- 2nd – Air Devils – iFLY Toronto (Canada) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
- 3rd – Sisters4Ever – iFLY Singapore (Singapore) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
- From 4th to 12th: Open or download Full Results in PDF
2Way Formation Intermediate
- 1st – Port Boyz – iFLY Toronto (Canada) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
- 2nd – Girls Power – Flybox (Israel) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
- 3rd – Double Dab – iFLY Downunder (Australia) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
- From 4th to 17th: Open or download Full Results in PDF
Wind Tunnels
- Aero Gravity Milano (Italy)
- Flybox (Israel)
- Hurricane Factory Prague (Czech Republic)
- iFLY Atlanta (United States)
- iFLY Baltimore (United States)
- iFLY Basingstoke
- iFLY Denver (United States)
- iFLY Downunder (Australia)
- iFLY Fort Worth (United States)
- iFLY Hollywood (United States)
- iFLY Loudon (United States)
- iFLY Naperville (United States)
- iFLY Oceanside (United States)
- iFLY Paris (France)
- iFLY Perth (Australia)
- iFLY Phoenix (United States)
- iFLY Portland (United States)
- IFLY Seattle (United States)
- IFLY SF Bay (United States)
- iFLY Singapore (Singapore)
- iFLY Tampa (United States)
- iFLY Toronto (Canada)
- iFLY Westchester (United States)
- iFLY Woodlands (United States)
- Skyventure Montreal (Canada)
- Speedfly (Poland)
Judges
Freestyle
- Ron Miasnikov – FAI AE rated
- Tamara Koyn – FAI AE rated
- Jami Pillasch – FAI AE rated
- Bryce Witcher – USPA AE-National rated
- Mary Traub – FAI AE rated
- Inka Tiitto – Freestyle World Champion
- Aliya Ananina – FAI AE rated
- Ola Soltyk – Polish National AE rated
- Natallia Yastremskaya – FAI AE rated
- Gorana Mihajlovic – CSPA AE-National rated
2way Formation
- John Scott – FAI FS rated
- Yin Yu – FAI FS rated
- Shlomo Yoyo – FAI FS rated
- Gorka Amian – USPA FS-National rated
- Jim Rees – USPA FS-International rated
- Korissa Bomba – USPA FS-National rated
Other Resources (Photos and Videos)
[dt_gap height=”20″ /]Credit International Bodyflight Association
[dt_gap height=”10″ /] [dt_divider style=”thin” /] [dt_gap height=”10″ /]