ELOY, Ariz. — The conditions were as perfect as the color-painted sky Friday morning at Skydive Arizona in Eloy. Hundreds of skydivers from around the world converged on the skydiving mecca for a Skydiving Hall of Fame celebration.
Also there, skydiving royalty: the granddaughter of the first woman to ever take the leap
Her name is Misha Tiny Shuck, her grandmother is legendary skydiver Georgia "Tiny" Broadwick.
“Well, I was never able to see her jump. She passed away when I was 15 years old," Shuck said. "But I remember the stories in the family and we were so excited that she loved what she did: the first woman to parachute from an airplane.”
Broadwick took the skies in 1913 and she was also the creator of the ripcord, which every parachute is required to have.
Shuck said she jumps in her honor. And on Friday, Shuck made her third jump.
"It makes me feel so proud of her," Shuck said. "And I just want her name to be remembered and honor her in my, you know, small way.”
Broadwick and several others were honored during Friday's celebration.
“This is our annual event where we induct our hall of fame class but we also recognize a couple of other awards," Cris Fucci told 12News. "One is the pioneer of excellence. So folks that have made contributions historically to the sport over time.”
Soaring on her 600th jump with much enthusiasm was 83-year-old Hall of Famer Kim Knor – she hopes to reach 1,000 jumps someday.
"I started my mission to get my 1,000 jumps. And today, I've made it up to 600," Knor said. "This will be number 600. So only 400 to go.”
Inspired by her uncle who skydived for the U.S. Army, Knor took flight in 1959 which could have been her first ... and last.
“When I landed, I cleared the power lines, but my parachute took down a whole bunch of power lines," she said. "so I won't forget that first.”
But that experience didn’t stop her. She later joined the first U.S. Women's Skydiving Team and made it to a world championship.
“You know, I just love it, you know, and it's a freedom,” Knor said.
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