The Pro Swooping Tour (PST) is a professional competition circuit for an extreme form of parachuting called "canopy piloting

Canopy piloting

Canopy Piloting encompasses several disciplines, all involving the flight of a skydiving parachute either at high altitude or close to the ground."Swooping" is one form of canopy piloting and is a growing activity in the skydiving world...

". The PST was formed in 2003 by producer Jim P. Slaton

Jim P. Slaton

James Paul Slaton is a professional skydiver and founder of the Pro Swooping Tour, the Canopy Piloting Circuit, and the Ground Launch Center.-Military career:...

and his associate Lyle Presse. Slaton & Lyle presented the sport's competition format & rules to the International Parachute Committee (IPC) at the 54th annual meeting in Brazil in 2003. The PST's efforts paid off and the IPC accepted the new sport of "Canopy Piloting". The PST created the competition format which gave birth to modern day canopy piloting.

Tour format

Between 2003-2007 the PST used a point system to determine the overall ranking of competitors. The PST champion was the pilot who accumulated the most points throughout out the competition season. In 2007 the PST transitioned from a point system to an annual championship event at the end of each season. The winner of the annual championships was declared the "Pro Swooping Tour Champion" for that season.

Events introduced

• Bladerunning - 1996
• Speed - 1996
• Distance - 1998
• Accuracy - 2001
• Team Speed - 2002
• Carving Accuracy - 2002
• Freestyle - 2004
• Parabatics - future event

Achievement history

Sport accepted by the International Parachuting Committee (IPC)

Sport accepted by the United States Parachute Association (USPA)

Sport accepted into the Olympic trials

Established a ranking system

Established a set of standard rules

Established a qualification system

Created the Canopy Piloting Circuit (CPC)

Tour champions

2009-NA (comp weathered out)

2008-Nick Batsch

2007-Nick Batsch (championship event)
Jeffro provenzano (point leader)

2006-Chris Hayes
runner up Stuart Schoenfeld

2005-Francisco Neri
runner up Kaz Sheekey

2004-Jay Moledzki
runner up Jim Slaton

2003-Clint Clawson
runner up Heath Richardson

Past tour stops

2000
Para-Performance Games-Houston, Texas

2001
Para-Performance Pro Cup-Perris, California
Para-Performance Pro Blade-Quincy, Illinois
Para-Performance Games-Perris, California

2002
Red Bull Blade Raid Blade running-Elk Meadows, Utah
Para-Performance Pro Cup-Perris, California
World Freefall Convention-Rantoul, Illinois
Para-Performance World Games-Perris, California

2003
Swoop Festival-Panama City Beach, Florida
Extreme Week-Voss, Norway
South American Open-Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Pro Tour Open-Portland, Oregon
World Freefall Convention-Rantoul, Illinois
1st World Cup of Canopy Piloting-Perris, California
Baja Challenge-Loreto, Baja Mexico

2004
1st Freestyle Open-Perris, California
Swoop Festival-Wildwood, New Jersey
U.S. Nationals of Canopy Piloting-Perris, California
2nd Freestyle Open-Perris, California

2005
U.S. Canopy Piloting Grand Prix-Perris, California
1st Ground Launch Blade running-Isabella, California
Triple Crown of Freestyle-Atlanta, Georgia
Swoop Festival-Chicago, Illinois
U.S. Nationals of Canopy Piloting-Perris, California
CPC Championships-Denver Colorado
GL Blade running Championships-Isabella, California

2006
PST Florida Pro/Am-Lake Wales, Fl
PST Mile Hi Canopy Cup-Longmont, Colorado
PST Air Festival Show-Longmont, Colorado

2007
PST Air Festival-Mile Hi Skydiving
Mile Hi Skydiving Longmont, CO

2008
"Swoop Week" championships
Mile Hi Skydiving Longmont, CO

2009
"Swoop Week" championships
Skydive Spaceland Houston, Texas