Skydivers honour Norway’s king and set Nordic record

Skydiver Jón Ingi Þorvaldsson and a group of 60 jumpers set a Nordic record by forming two separate formations during the same jump, mbl.is reports. The group also formed a pattern of the Norwegian flag over Tønsberg, a medieval town, to honour King Harald of Norway as he lay on his deathbed.

The record was set during a five-day event in which the group aimed to establish records in two categories: creating two separate formations in one jump and creating three. The attempt to form three patterns was unsuccessful.

Rules require the two formations to be completely separate, with no jumper allowed to take the same grip in both. The participants therefore planned and practised on the ground who would be positioned where and which grips they would take. Judges then review photographs and video to determine whether the record is valid.

The jumps were made from an altitude of 15,000 feet, leaving only a short time to complete the formations. The group used one Skyvan aircraft and two Twin Otter aircraft.

The record attempts began on August 24. The group completed four jumps on each of the first two days, setting the two-formation record on the eighth jump. They then spent more than a day attempting three formations. On the fourth day, they took a break from the record attempt to create the Norwegian flag pattern, which was completed successfully.

Weather conditions remained favourable for the first four days, but the final day was unsuitable for further attempts. Þorvaldsson previously took part in a world-record formation over Arizona in November 2024, involving 150 jumpers.