What we do

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All American Big-Ways hosts a full spectrum of skydiving events designed to support jumpers at every stage of their big-way progression, ranging from skills camps, designed to learn new skills in a low-pressure environment, to records, where participants get to feel the pressure of performance at the highest level to achieve a common goal. Across all of our events, the emphasis remains on safety, skill development, teamwork, and creating opportunities for skydivers to grow, connect, and fly bigger together.

Who we are

Three men in skydiving gear smiling outside, with parachutes and helmets, on a sunny day with a blue sky and clouds, in front of a white building and open field.

All American Big-Ways was founded in 2016 with a clear mission: to preserve and advance the discipline of big-way skydiving by bringing newer jumpers onto bigger formations and passing the knowledge and culture on to the next generation. At a time when opportunities to learn true big-way fundamentals were becoming increasingly limited, AABW was created to provide structured, professional education that emphasizes safety, discipline, and teamwork at every level.

Our organization is led by some of the most experienced and respected individuals in the sport. The All American Big-Ways leadership and media teams include multiple national and world champions in formation skydiving who bring decades of big-way, instructional, and competitive experience to every event. However, what sets us apart is our out-of-the-box thinking and progressive use of technology, data, and research to challenge the status quo and build on what we know every single event. We consider ourselves everlasting students and are constantly looking into ways to make our events better, jumps safer, formations more successful, and our performance higher.

Together, we are committed to maintaining the highest standards in big-way training while creating an environment where skydivers can learn, progress, and contribute to the future of large-formation skydiving.

Our Mission

A man with short hair in an orange shirt stands on a stage with his arms raised, facing a large audience in a hall with a mezzanine. The audience members are seated and appear to be engaged and amused. The shirt has the words "ALL-AMERICAN BIG-WAYS" along with various logos.

Big-ways are built on strong basics. We emphasize body position, approach angles, slot discipline, and breakoff awareness—skills that translate directly from small groups to large formations.

Fundamentals that scale

Progressive Coaching

Whether you’re new to organized big-ways or refining advanced skills, our camps provide clear progression, real-time feedback, and debriefs designed to accelerate learning and confidence.

Team-Based Flying

Big-way skydiving is about flying together. Learn how to fly your slot, trust the plan, and contribute to a larger objective while building the mindset required for successful big-way participation.

Leadership team

doug barron

As the founder and captain of All American Big-Ways, Doug brings 23 years of elite experience and over 13,000 jumps to the organization. While currently competing at the highest levels with SDC Rhythm XP and XP8, he has channeled a dedicated second passion into promoting a positive, learning-friendly environment for building the next generation of skydivers. He is actively pushing the sport forward to reintroduce "mega" big-ways, most recently highlighted by leading the 250-way IL State record attempt in August 2025.

Founder and Team Captain

A smiling man in a skydiving suit and red helmet stands on an airport tarmac.

Andrew Happick

Coupling 13,000 jumps and 20 years of skydiving experience with an engineering background, Andrew brings his expert knowledge and skills to the All American Big-Ways team. During his competition career, he became National Champion in 4way (SDC Rhythm XP) and is a current World Champion in Indoor and Outdoor 8way (GKXP). He also holds two current World Records (highest average and longest sequence in 8way). As a full-time skydiver for over 13 years, Andrew enjoys coaching 4way and 8way teams, instructing military freefall, and of course organizing Big-Way events!

Captain

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With 3,500 jumps and a home base at Skydive Midwest, Gorka has become an avid fan, coach and forever student of the world of big-way formation skydiving. With a background in analytics and data science, he has brought his professional experience to skydiving and built an approach defined by data. As a member of the 8way US delegation, Gorka has won two national championships as a player-coach, bridging the gap between individual skill, collective excellence, and mentorship. In the big-way arena, Gorka is happy with any slot, but is thrilled closer to the base. He is most excited with absorbing movement and stabilizing the core, a skill set that proved essential in securing a World Record in November 2024 during the 151-way Full Break Sequential in Eloy.

Captain

Gorka Amian

Media Team

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Elliot Byrd

Elliot serves as the Lead Videographer and has been with All American Big-Ways since its inception in 2016. He began skydiving in 2009 and has logged over 7,000 jumps, with a primary focus on video and photography. Elliot is a two-time World Champion and a multi-time National Champion in Formation Skydiving. Beyond his competitive and media work, he is passionate about coaching and mentoring new videographers, actively sharing his knowledge to help develop the next generation of skydiving camera flyers.

Video Team Lead

Mark ‘Trunk’ Kirschenbaum

Trunk has spent two decades filming boogies, big-ways, and world record attempts. An accomplished videographer, he’s contributed to magazines, commercials, and film productions. When he’s not skydiving, he owns and operates Hypoxic, designing and building specialized camera gear for the sport. You’ll often find him on the dropzone debriefing jumps, offering camera setup advice, or talking canopy piloting.