CRW - What is it?
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Ralph, Matt,-
Davo, Tom, Mitch, Stale mistCRW (pronounced CReW) is Canopy Relative Work. CRW jumpers open their parachutes almost immediately after exiting an aircraft and then link together to make various formations as quickly as possible.
There are 3 competitive disciplines in CRW. They are 4 way Rotations, 4 way Sequential, and 8 way Speed. 2 way sequential is also being implemented around the globe to make entry into the sport easier for those that can't get a complete team together.
Rotations: Jumpers have to build a four stack / plane within 30 seconds of exiting the aircraft. The jumper at the top flies down to the bottom and rejoins the formation. This continues for 90 seconds. The team with the most accumulated rotations over eight rounds (worst score discarded) wins the competition.
Sequential: Competitors must perform predrawn manouvres or patterns as many times as possible in a given time. Sequential is considered the most difficult CRW discipline.
8 way Speed: There are 4 formations in the competition dive pool. They are the 8 plane, kite, box, and wedge. Timing starts as soon as the first person leaves the aircraft and finishes when the last person docks on the formation. Scores are accumulated over 8 rounds and the team with the lowest combined time wins the competition.
Australia has won a number of medals (including Gold) at the World CRW championships and consistantly places in the top 5 teams.
There are also a number of other areas of CRW including large formations and parabatics.
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Ian Ladyman wrote a book about CRW in 1983. He was a member of New Zealand CRW team "Plane Scared. Click on the following links to view his book.