posted May 29th, 2007 - Several west coast competitors joined forces last weekend to execute a demonstration jump at a NASCAR race in Charlotte, the Coca Cola 600. Tom Sanders of Aerial Focus, one of the most experienced professional freefall photographers in the history of skydiving, was in charge to put the stunt together and recruit the group of skydivers.

The demo at the NASCAR was a promotional stunt for an action movie that will soon come to the mainstream movie theaters: the "Rise of the Silver Surfer". The movie features an adventure of the "Fantastic Four":

"Marvel's first family of superheroes, the Fantastic Four, meets their greatest challenge yet in "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" as the enigmatic, intergalactic herald, the Silver Surfer, comes to earth to prepare it for destruction. As the Silver Surfer races around the globe wreaking havoc, Reed, Sue, Johnny and Ben must unravel the mystery of the Silver Surfer and confront the surprising return of their mortal enemy, Dr. Doom, before all hope is lost."

Actress Jessica Alba plays the female hero Sue in the movie and was on site at the NASCAR race to promote the new action thriller. The group of 21 Formation Skydiving competitors from the west coast added their promotional share by building the number 4 (Fantastic Four) in freefall.

Skysurfer Oliver Furrer concluded the stunt when he dove through the center of the freefall formation on his surfboard. He wore a jumpsuit and gear that made him look the Silver Surfer. The whole group landed in the center of the NASCAR race track in front of 170,000 spectators and a TV audience of additional several millions.

An interview with Jessica Alba and the stunt managers, which was aired live on FOX Sports, can be viewed on YouTube by clicking here. The video includes freefall footage and Oliver Furrer's landing with a Performance Designs parachute in front of the cameras and crowds.

Tom Sanders lives and works on the west coast and recruited his group mostly from the skydiving centers that he knows best, even though the event took place on the east coast. The group included all Perris Fury members, and Chris Farina provided more names of the participants and details of the event.

He reported that each skydiver used a Performance Designs parachute, and he quoted Tom Sanders with the remark that this was an incredible advertisement for the DeLand manufacturer: "170,000 spectators, millions watching on TV, and only one canopy - Performance Designs". He added that most of the demo team jumpers were already sponsored by Performance Designs.

Chris Farina said that the success of the demo stunt was based on the competitive experience of the participants: "Most, if not all, of the demo team members were either current or past 4-way competitors, and that is one of the main reasons they were chosen for this very difficult formation and demo."

He added that competitors know when to be ready for performance under pressure: "As professionals do, everybody stepped up to the plate and pulled it off without a hitch, in front of millions, and it was one of the largest and most notable demos ever performed."

The YouTube audience liked the demo, as some feedback came from spectators who were live on site at the NASCAR race: "I went to the 600 and saw that stunt. It was amazing!!" Another spectator enjoyed other parts of the demo, as well: "Saw this in person at the 600. It was awesome, but i couldnt help but laugh when they would come in too fast and face plant. Of course I would laugh after they got up and waved at the crowd."

The list of participants also included BJ Worth, manager of the Kaleidoscope Dives at SkyQuest and founder of the World Team, which holds the current 400-way world record. BJ Worth is a former 8-way world champion in 8-way and acted in several James Bond movies in the past. He organized the Olympic Rings in freefall and the skydiving demonstration over Seoul for the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in 1988.

Chris Farina added the names of other Formation Skydiving competitors and VIPs of skydiving: John Hammilton, Christopher Irwin, Pat McGowan, Kirk Verner, Charlie Brown, Lou Ascione, Melanie Curtis, Doug Forth, Andy Honigbaum, Mike Inabinet, Scott Latinis, Laurent Lobjoit, Steve Simar, Ryan Smith, Derek Thomas, Kyle Thomas.