Since our announcement of Boris Nebe confirming as a panelist of Indoor Skydiving 2020 | First Global Summit (ISGS) in late December, we have been able to bring more experts in different fields to the ISGS lineup. The founder of Skydive University, Rob Laidlaw, and the filmmaker/photographer Lauri Aapro will join us too. That's even more competence to help us ensure that ISGS will contribute to bring indoor skydiving to the next level.
Last year, the United States Parachute Association (USPA) presented Rob Laidlaw with the Gold Medal for Meritorious Service. The award has the following inscription: “For more than 40 years of advancing training methods that have produced professional, highly skilled skydiving coaches and instructors; for developing Skydive University; and for sharing that knowledge with USPA for our student and instructional rating programs.”
That sums up Rob Laidlaw's achievements over the last decades fairly well. It does not, however, make mention of the fact that he was one of the most successful athletes of all times, with plenty of World Championship medals and World Records in Formation Skydiving (from 4- to 400-Way). But he got all those while competing under the Canadian flag.
Finnish filmmaker and storyteller Lauri Aapronen produced some of the most high-impact imagery on skydiving indoors as well as outdoors. Starting with the latter, the chute-less jump by fellow Finn Antti Pendikainen – including the lifesaving intervention by Matti Miilumäki – comes to mind first. You may also remember the Dunkin’ Donut run by wingsuit skydiver Ellen Brennan or the Apple Watch Series 4 commercial involving Finnish FAI World Champion Inka Tiitto.
Lauri is the owner of Sweet Karelia. Here is his showreel of three years ago.
Comments