Sep. 7, 2013 – DELAND, Fla. — Team Alter Ego had one goal in mind at the beginning of 2013: to sweep the 4 major Canopy Piloting (CP) competitions scheduled for the year. Not only have they succeeded in their goals so far, but Curt Bartholomew’s most recent win gives him the highly coveted title of Canopy Piloting Triple Crown Champion, becoming the first United States competitor to hold the distinction.
The Triple Crown of Canopy Piloting Champion is only bequeathed to a competitive Canopy Pilot who wins the World Games, the World Canopy Piloting Championship and the World Cup of Canopy Piloting in the same competition circuit. As the current title holder for each of these championships and the Dubai International Parachuting Championship, Bartholomew solidifies his position as the #1 Canopy Pilot in the world.
Although there are several Canopy Piloting competitions throughout each year, they aren’t all held annually. The World Games are held every four years, with the other two competitions of the Triple Crown being held every two years, further making the Triple Crown distinction a difficult one to achieve. The only other Canopy Pilot who has held the distinction of Triple Crown Champion is Performance Designs Factory Team Member, Jay Moledzki from Canada.
In CP competitions, fractions of inches and points can mean the difference between 1st and 2nd and lead changes are commonplace. For instance, in the World Games competition held earlier this year, Bartholomew trailed the former Triple Crown winner, Moledzki by 0.4 points going into the last day of competition. In only three jumps, Bartholomew would overtake the lead and finish a full 45 points ahead of 2nd place.
One of the keys to consistently winning Canopy Piloting competitions is, well, consistency, which Bartholomew has in spades. Of the three types of jumps completed during a competition (Speed, Distance and Zone Accuracy), Zone Accuracy tends to be the achilles heel of most competitors; and, therefore, the one that Bartholomew has worked hard to master.
“Being able to land high scores in Zone Acc is tough,” Bartholomew shared. “It can make or break your entire meet and the weather conditions and even event location can be a huge factor in your score”.
Throughout every competition, Bartholomew can be counted on for at least one perfect 100 score in Zone Accuracy (a stand-up landing in a small square after dragging water through a pond). His ability to seemingly score perfect 100’s in Zone Acc at will (and often end competitions with the exciting feat) has earned him the nickname “Clutch” from fans and other competitors. The tighter the competition and the higher the stakes is when Bartholomew shines.
For Bartholomew, the Triple Crown title is one that is both humbling and exciting, especially having earned the title while competing this summer with his teammates.
“We’re on a great run right now,” Bartholomew said. “We work hard to be the best in the field and it is paying off. As a team, Alter Ego hasn’t lost a major competition in two years and we help each other out a lot to keep the level of our flying high. On a personal level, I’ve also learned to fight through pain, injury and disappointment. To this point, this is the greatest achievement of my life”.
All four team members of Alter Ego will gather in force at the next two competitions being held in October (SunPath Open in Raeford, NC and Project Orange in Zephyrhills, FL), with Bartholomew and teammate Nick Batsch returning to Dubai in November where Bartholomew will defend his Dubai International Parachuting Championship.
Bartholomew, a Zionsville, PA native, lives in DeLand, FL with his wife and teammate, Jeannie Bartholomew, where he trains and work at Skydive DeLand.
About Canopy Piloting
Canopy Piloting competitions are judged over the performances in 9 rounds of competition: 3 rounds each of Zone Accuracy, Distance and Speed. The pilots must navigate a water course at speeds upwards of 100 mph, with each event presenting unique challenges that affect how the pilot maneuvers his canopy. The placement of a toe can be enough to mean the difference between who is on top and who settles for Silver.
2013 marks the 3rd year in a row that Curt Bartholomew and Nick Batsch have been collecting gold medals as Team Alter Ego, and Bartholomew’s World Cup victory is the 12th consecutive win for the pair:
2013
– World Cup of Canopy Piloting (Curt)
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– Pink Canopy Piloting Open (Nick)
– World Games (Curt)
– USPA National (Nick)
– FLCPA Overall (Curt)
2012
– World Canopy Piloting Championship (Curt)
– USPA National (Curt)
– Pink Canopy Piloting Open (Nick)
2011
– Dubai International Parachuting Championship (Curt)
– World Cup of Canopy Piloting (Nick)
– USPA National (Nick)
– Pink Canopy Piloting Open (Nick)
