Symposium 2026 Speakers
At ESS you’ll find presentations, workshops, fireside chats and interviews with people whose experience is a source of knowledge for all of us. Meet experts, engineers, instructors, inventors or fun jumpers with a story to share.
Albert Berchtold
- 🇺🇸 USA
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Skydive Spain
Executive Director at the United States Parachute Association (USPA) with more than 20 years of experience in the sport, representing the US in Canopy Piloting.
Alethia J Austin
- 🇺🇸 USA
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Skydive Spain
Multiple world record holder, full-time freefly and angle coach, and event organizer, regional captain for the Women’s Vertical World Record, editor at SkydiveMag.
Angie Aragon
- 🇺🇸 USA
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Skydive Spain
7500+ jumps, USPA National Director, USPA Coach, AFF & Tandem Instructor Examiner with 400+ graduates to date, UPT & Firebird Tandem ExaminerCoach, AFF & Tandem Instructor, FAA Senior Rigger.
Armando Fattoruso
- 🇮🇹 Italy
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Skydive Spain
Flight-1 Instructor, +13 000 jumps, CP competitor, Top 5 world ranking, Top 3 European ranking, multiple record holder, 24 years in the sport.
Ernesto Gainza
- 🇪🇸 Spain
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Skydive Spain
Globally recognized skydiver, BASE jumper, wingsuit pilot, and four-time Guinness World Record holder.
James La Barrie
- 🇺🇸 USA
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Skydive Spain
Jumper and founder of the first marketing agency dedicated to the skydiving community.
Julian Barthel
- 🇩🇪 Germany
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Skydive Spain
The Canopy Flight Shool Instructor and founder, +9 000 jumps, AFF Instructor, Coach, Tunnel instructor, Tandem Instructor, flocking enthusiast and evangelist.
Kate Cooper-Jensen
- 🇩🇰 Denmark
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Skydive Spain
+14 000 jumps, 40+ years of experience, multiple records holder and big-way organizer. The only female skydiver to participate in all the “even number” FS World Records – 100, 200, 300, and 400. Kate organized also Jump For The Cause organizer, and numerous other national and women’s records globally.
Lesley Gale
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
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Skydive Spain
Organizer and participant of many skydiving world records, Hall of Fame 2021 inductee. Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Skydive Mag.
Martin Mall
- 🇩🇪 Germany
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Skydive Spain
Parachute jumper and record holder in FS formations, performer and juggler that will set the mood for the After Party!
Maxine Tate
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom, 🇺🇸 USA
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Skydive Spain
10 000+ jumps, Flight-1 Instructor, Demostration Jumper, AFF Instructor, multiple record holder.
Neil Wilcox
- 🇺🇸 USA
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Skydive Spain
UPT and CPS Tandem Program Director Neil holds all of the USPA Examiner ratings across all methods and is a USPA Examiner Rating Course Director (ERCD), He is a master parachute rigger and IBA Tunnel Instructor.
Norman Kent
- 🇺🇸 USA
- ,
Skydive Spain
32 000+ jumps, 50+ years in skydiving, world-class skydiving photographer and cameraflyer, the Skydiving Hall Of Fame inductee, the Path Of Excellence award winner, multiple record holder and educational movies creator.
Pete Allum
- 🇪🇸 Spain
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Skydive Spain
Flight-1 instructor, coach, 36,000+ jumps, 40 years of experience, multiple FS-4 medalist.