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OUR TEAM
Gord Gauvin
Owner/Operator of Skydive Vancouver Island
Gord is the owner of Skydive Vancouver Island and ready to greet you with his infectious positive personality! With over 30 years experience in the sport, Gord has accomplished over 4300 skydives. Being a Tandem Instructor has become his favorite part of skydiving! Seeing the excitement and happiness from a person doing their first jump makes every day working awesome! He is passionate about cultivating a safe and memorable experience for everyone! Gord has lived on Vancouver Island since 2013 and loves sharing the magnificent views and experience that Skydive Vancouver Island has to offer!
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Joe
Tandem Instructor at Skydive Vancouver Island
Joe, originally from England, started skydiving in New Zealand in 2015 since then he’s done 2000 jumps, he loves getting to share in people’s first jumps through tandems and skydiving has taken him around the world as part of a big sky family. Joe’s happiest place is under a parachute!! Joe is thrilled to join the Skydive Vancouver Island team and bring his passion for our sport to everyone ready to take on their first skydive experience. He is also eager to explore the sights of Vancouver Island and take in new adventures!
Aidan
Tandem & PFF Instructor & Rigger at Skydive Vancouver Island
Beginning his skydiving career over 40 years ago, 20,000+ skydives and still counting, Aidan brings not only a vast range of knowledge and experience, but a love for the sport that is just as strong as when he started. Joining the Skydive Vancouver Island Team in 2023 as a Tandem Instructor, he also spends a lot of time working with our students and experienced jumpers refining their skills. Having been on several Canadian National Teams, he has experienced so much that this sport has to offer. Aidan also has a deep passion for the equipment and has his CSPA Rigger and FAA Master Rigger ratings where he continues to provide rigging services as a full time career.
Wade
Tandem & PFF Instructor & SSE at Skydive Vancouver Island
Beginning his skydive adventure in 2008, Wade quickly fell in love with the sport and most of all the community of skydivers. He has not only accumulated over 2000 jumps since then, Wade has also become an accomplished Tandem Instructor, Progressive FreeFall Instructor, Skydive School Instructor & Examiner, and Coach, in turn helping many new students and progressing experienced skydivers achieve their goals. Wade’s favorite part of the sport today is the people and he is always ready to greet you with a huge smile!
Chris
Tandem Instructor & Videographer at Skydive Vancouver Island
Chris joined the team at Skydive Vancouver Island when he packed up his home in Ontario and headed west in 2018. It was the best decision he made and since has fallen in love with everything the Island has to offer, including our epic skydiving centre he now calls his home away from home! As an instructor and videographer for our Tandem Skydives, he loves capturing those once in a lifetime moments first time passengers are experiencing. From the smiles, the screams, to the look of pure joy, Chris is there and ready to provide the experience of a lifetime!
Emmet
Tandem & PFF Instructor at Skydive Vancouver Island
Emmet started skydiving in 2000 and fell in love with the sport instantly. Not only has he become a leading Tandem Instructor, Tunnel Instructor, and Industry Coach, Emmet has been competitive in the sport. He holds several medals in a variety of skydiving disciplines. In 2015 Emmet was a part of the 164 way vertical (head down) World Record which is an accomplishment demonstrating Emmet's insane skydiving skills! One of Emmet's favorite aspects of skydiving is the freefall and he enjoys teaching new skills to sport jumpers looking to enhance their own skills in the sky!
Brian
Tandem & PFF Instructor & Rigger at Skydive Vancouver Island
Brian has been skydiving for over 27 years and spent a year jumping with the Skyhawks (Canadian Armed Forces Parachute Team). When Brian is not taking a tandem student for their first jump, teaching new students as a PFF Instructor, or working with more experienced sport jumpers, he can be found in the weeds of it all as a CSPA Rigger B (the equipment expert)! When Brian is asked how many jumps he has done his answer is always, "Not Enough". He loves that in skydiving you are never too experienced to learn something new. Brian is an overall accomplished skydiver with a passion for wingsuiting and teaching others.
Krystal
Tandem Instructor at Skydive Vancouver Island
Krystal embraces life with a full love of adventure! Going for her first tandem skydive in 2016, it took her a few tandem jumps before gaining the nerve to go Solo but once she did there was no looking back. Krystal quickly progressed in the sport, surrounding herself with many people that became her "sky family". Her pure joy in skydiving led her to earn her coach ratings, as well as, her Tandem Instructor rating so she could share the experience with everyone! When Krystal is not in the sky she is often found deep in the ocean scuba diving with her octopus besties!
Colin
Tandem & PFF Instructor at Skydive Vancouver Island
Taking to the sky for the first time in 2013, Colin instantly felt the skydive vibes and signed up right away to learn to skydive! Since then Colin has over 2,100 jumps and 40 hours of tunnel time and several ratings including his Tandem Instructor, PFF Instructor, Jump Master, and CSPA Coach 2 (just to name a few)! Colin's fun loving personality creates a fun and safe learning environment. His determination to excel in the sport while always having the best time ever is what best defines Colin! He is the guy that pumps up the students to have fun and trust in their trained skills!
Ray
Tandem & PFF Instructor at Skydive Vancouver Island
Ray did his first AFF jump in 1996, but time and money constraints conspired to ensure it took until 2009 to finish. Since then he has done more than 2900 jumps, mostly on his belly, and has a rule that every skydiving discipline should be sampled multiple times. He works in the sport doing videography, coaching, tandems, and PFF, and started coming to Skydive Vancouver Island in 2022. He has competed provincially and nationally, but primarily enjoys just getting out the door of the plane. Doing so with a student, and being allowed to share in that student's thrill and achievement, is still one of his greatest passions in skydiving!
Derek
PFF Instructor & Videographer at Skydive Vancouver Island
Starting his skydiving in 2017, Derek didn't realize at the time how much the sport would be an integral part of his life. In fact, he thought he would go for a tandem, check off the bucket list, and be onto new adventures! Now with over 2400 skydives and have jumped at many dropzones, there is no looking back! Derek is joining our team as an Instructor, coach and rigger. He has a love for photography as well so when he isn't in the air jumping from planes, you can often see Derek with his camera taking some epic pictures of everyone laughing and having fun!
Gavan
PFF Instructor & Videographer at Skydive Vancouver Island
Starting his skydiving in 2006 in Alberta, Gavan didn't realize at the time how much the sport would be an integral part of his life. In 2012 he began skydiving in the Canadian military. Since then he has completed over 1100 jumps and acquired several ratings including his Tandem Instructor, CSPA Coach 2, and Jump Master. Gavan's passion is all about getting people into the sport so they can experience the awesome community and thrill of freefall. He loves sharing with others the personal growth and boost in confidence skydiving brings!
Donnie
PFF Instructor and Coach 2 at Skydive Vancouver Island
Having had his first taste of skydiving in 1989 Donnie found an instant connection with the sport. The more he continued to skydive, the more he realized how complex the sport is but also how rewarding each jump can be! Skydiving has brought him to some amazing places and he has been fortunate to meet amazing people. Acquiring many ratings, as well as, competing in the sport, Donnie quickly became passionate about sharing the experience with others. He now spends most of his dropzone time sharing what he's learned and learning from anyone else! When he sees his students reach their goals and progress, it brings him a deeper love for skydiving!
Pete
PFF Instructor and Demo Master at Skydive Vancouver Island
Having over 2400 skydives, Pete, better known as Parachute Pete, is most famous for his crazy pants and smoke shows, bringing a whole new level to Vancouver Island events as a demonstration skydive specialist. When Pete is not making crowds hoot and holler with excitement, he brings the same level of excitement to students learning to skydive as a Progressive Freefall Instructor at Skydive Vancouver Island. His vibrant personality and dedication to those new to the sport, sets up our students for success in their skydiving progression. Pete's most honored achievement in the sport was being one of the skydivers participating in the D-Day 75th Anniversary Parachute Jump, in Normandy France.
Bryan
PFF Instructor, Coach 2 & JM at Skydive Vancouver Island
Bryan is the Go-To guy for coaching at Skydive Vancouver Island and has been in the sport since 2015. Helping our skydivers progress in the sport through signing off on licensing, coaching jumps, teaching packing, and helping with ground control navigating our students safely to the ground. His patience and clear, concise instruction is greatly appreciated and he is always willing and eager to help those wanting to progress in our great sport. Whether he is capturing a Tandem Students wow factor moment, coaching novices on the ground, or dispatching a student as their Jump Master, Bryan is ready to take individuals through the experience!
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Jess
Parachute Packer at Skydive Vancouver Island
Starting her skydiving adventure in 2022 right here at Skydive Vancouver Island, Jess quickly began to realize that the skydiving community was her home! Acquiring over 250 jumps and taking her passion for the sport all the way to Norway, Jess immersed herself into working in the industry as a parachute packer for the past 3 years! Jess has had the opportunity to meet amazing people from across the world. She is super stoked to come back to where it all started for her! When she isn't packing Jess is usually hiking mountains and exploring the beauty of Vancouver Island.
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Niki
Rigger & Parachute Packer at Skydive Vancouver Island
Niki has wanted to play in the sky since her teacher busted out that big round play parachute in kindergarten. She moved to the island in 2020 to live her dream of being a nylon compression technician (glorified parachute packer). Joining the Skydive Vancouver Island Team in 2022, she quickly was immersed to life at the dropzone. Niki also loves skydiving with her passion in artistic freestyle. With over 13 years of packing and 7 years of rigging experience she loves to keep you safe in the sky! She is also a self proclaimed packing matt DJ providing the best tunes at the dropzone!
Erwin
Chief Pilot at Skydive Vancouver Island
Erwin began flying planes in 2009 and has been with the Skydive Vancouver Island Team since 2018. Over 2000 hours of flying time, Erwin has loved flying skydivers over the stunning views here at the dropzone. It didn't take long for Erwin to want to start jumping from the planes and since getting his skydiving license in 2019, he has completed over 250 jumps. His favorite aspect of skydiving is getting the speed on a solid angle or track jump. Although skydiving has become one of his favorite activities, Erwin's first passion is flying the plane and mentoring our team of pilots.
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Abdel
Cessna 206 Pilot at Skydive Vancouver Island
Abdel, is a pilot who's truly passionate about aviation and ready to take flight with the Skydive Vancouver Island Team. He has spent the last couple years flying all over North America building over 530 flying hours and is very excited to call Vancouver Island home this season! Abdel loves flying and is ready to share his passion for flight with everyone coming to skydive. When Abdel is not out flying the plane he is looking forward to exploring the Island and all the cool things the west coast has to offer!
Ben
Cessna 182 Pilot at Skydive Vancouver Island
Joining the Skydive Vancouver Island Team in 2021, Ben is no stranger to the sky with over 7,000 skydives. He has brought smiles to first time jumpers from one coast of Canada to the other and even spent time in Australia where he found his second love ~ surfing! Ben's has taken his passion for the sport even further and became a commercial pilot. He can't wait to dive into this career path in the sport and is thrilled to keep bringing smiles to many people who come out to experience a skydive with our team!
Ashley
CSPA Coach 2 & Videographer at Skydive Vancouver Island
In 2020, Ashley came out to Skydive Vancouver Island as a newly CSPA Certified Skydiver. She dedicated her time and began to excel in her skydiving skills in the air and under canopy! Since then she has completed over 400 skydives and loves sharing her passion with new individuals in our sport. Ashley's favorite part of being a coach is that moment when a new skill is accomplishment by a novice skydiver and the excitement in their achievement. Cool fact: Ashley set the Women's Canadian Record for the longest cross-country (canopy descent) on August 27th 2023 with a distance of 14.31KM over Nanoose Bay & Parksville, BC!
Brian (BriMo)
CSPA Coach 2 & SSI at Skydive Vancouver Island
Brian, affectionately known as BriMo in the skydiving community, embarked on his skydiving journey in Ontario back in 2008 before making the move out west in 2013. With over 2,000 jumps under his belt, BriMo has honed his expertise in angle and freefly techniques, earning certifications including CSPA Coach 2 and Skydive School Instructor to his repertoire. As the co-founder of Keen2Lean Skills Camps, BriMo is passionate about advancing the skills of intermediate skydivers. His dedication is rooted in his experience gained from participating in skills camps like Fly4Life, Downunder Dynamics, and Ballistic. BriMo is ready to share his knowledge and enthusiasm, helping others elevate their skydiving abilities to new heights!
Riley
CSPA Coach 2 at Skydive Vancouver Island
Riley embarked on his skydiving journey in 2022 at Skydive Vancouver Island and has since completed over 400 jumps. Recently completing the Coach 2 course, Riley is passionate about the discipline of relative work (belly flying) and has accumulated more than 6 hours of tunnel time, honing his skills with a dedicated 4-way formation team. He has enthusiasm for traveling to different dropzones and embracing unique experiences like hot air balloon skydives and helicopter exits. Before entering the world of skydiving, Riley brought a strong background in instruction and teaching. His experience in teaching emergency responders carries over into his thoughtful, supportive approach to student development in the sky.
Brandon
CSPA Coach 1 at Skydive Vancouver Island
In 2021, Brandon came out to Skydive Vancouver Island for his first Tandem Skydive and that launched this adrenaline loving guy into a whole new journey of awesomeness! Building his skydiving profile with over 200 jumps in 2 years, Brandon knew that having the ability to share his experience with novice jumpers was the direction he wanted to go in the skydiving community. Achieving his CSPA Coach 1 rating has brought a new excitement to his jumping at Skydive Vancouver Island. Seeing others achieve their goals and challenge themselves to achieve milestones is what makes it even more rewarding to be a coach in the sport!
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Kyle
CSPA Coach 1 at Skydive Vancouver Island
Kyle took his first tandem jump in Toronto 2019 for his birthday and was instantly hooked. After moving to Vancouver, he dove headfirst into the skydiving community and is now a Coach 1, helping others achieve their goals in the sport. His passion for pushing limits is matched only by his love for skydiving, especially that moment when the door opens. For Kyle, skydiving is all about freedom, perspective, and pure joy a now loves to share that with novice jumpers. When he’s not coaching, you’ll find him training for his next big adventure or cheering on students from the landing area. His enthusiasm is infectious, and he’s always ready to share the thrill of the sky with those around him.
Tom
Videographer at Skydive Vancouver Island
Originally hailing from England, Tom’s appetite for adventure and the great outdoors led him to stunning Vancouver Island, where he now calls home. Tom has been a part of Skydive Vancouver Island since 2021, bringing his infectious enthusiasm to our team and marking a new chapter in his skydive journey. Tom’s passion for skydiving ignited in 2019 when he booked his first course and never looked back. As a videographer for our team, Tom delights in capturing the breathtaking moments of skydivers embracing the freedom of the skies, crafting unforgettable stories from incredible heights!
Tom
Videographer & Coach 1 at Skydive Vancouver Island
In 2015, Tom came out to Skydive Vancouver Island and experienced his first Tandem Skydive. It was an experience that, unknowingly to him at the time, would begin his skydiving journey! Since then he has completed over 1000 skydives and loves expanding his skill level in freefall. Tom's favorite part of being a videographer for our Tandem Skydives, is that moment exiting the plane and seeing the fear shift to absolute amazement. Adding a new level of awesome to the adventure through his video of someone's first skydive, is what Tom strives for each time.
Monica
Social Media Manager & Coach 1 at Skydive Vancouver Island
Although Monica's first love is her four-legged kids, skydiving has added a whole new dynamic to her life. Taking her first skydive in 2017, she didn't imagine how life changing the experience would be. More than 800 jumps later, Monica's progression in the sport is amazing to witness. Monica provides a calm and steady approach to learning that is valued by every novice student she works with. She is known for her hilarious antics under canopy and also works behind the scenes promoting Skydive Vancouver Island on Social Media.
Dylan
Support Staff at Skydive Vancouver Island
Dylan is no stranger to the world of skydiving. In fact, he spent his teenage years hanging out with the skydiving community as his step dad and mom are the owners of Skydive Vancouver Island. This season he finally decided to take the leap into the family business and is excited to increase his knowledge of the operations. With a few skydives already logged, he hopes to continue his skydiving by aiming to achieve his Solo certification!
A true outdoors enthusiast, when Dylan is not at the dropzone he will most likely be found out on the water or on the mountains!
Allison
Manifest at Skydive Vancouver Island
When you need to get things done at the dropzone, Allison is the one to seek out! If you don't see her when you arrive at Manifest to check-in, you will find her helping customers or organizing our Skydive Vancouver Island Team. Allison has over 150 skydives logged but her true love for the sport is creating an environment and experience for first time jumpers, students, and experienced sport jumpers that is incomparable to any other. As a member of the CSPA Technical & Safety Committee and the Chair for the CSPA Long Term Athlete Development Committee & the Women's Initiative Committee, Allison finds passion in promoting an atmosphere of learning and development in the sport at all levels.
Erika
UPT Sigma/Vector Tandem Examiner & Coach
Erika made her start as a skydiver in 2005 on Vancouver Island. She went on to become a tandem instructor in 2008 and attended the tandem examiner course in 2010. Erika has since produced countless tandem instructors world-wide. When Erika is not doing or teaching tandems, her preferred discipline is canopy piloting. Erika is an integral part of our Skydive Vancouver Island team sharing her passion about canopy flight and the importance of good canopy skills to students, experienced jumpers and tandem instructors alike. She is committed to teaching and empowering skydivers to take charge of safety in the sport.
John
Skydive Vancouver Island Flight-1 Canopy Course Facilitator
With over 22,000 skydives in the last 24 years, John has learnt from the school of hard knocks throughout his professional career in the skydiving world. Currently, an Instructor with Flight-1, John has become an integral part of our team at Skydive Vancouver Island facilitating several Flight-1 Canopy courses throughout our season. He is an accomplished member of the Canadian National Canopy Piloting Team with several team and individual wins throughout the years. Having a passion for canopy piloting, John brings this enthusiasm to hundreds of skydivers each year from all skill levels.
Bradley
Skydive Vancouver Island Sponsored Athlete
A seasoned skydiver with over 1600 jumps, Bradley has been taking every opportunity to be in the sky since he started jumping in 2016. In 2018 he started wingsuiting, and when he discovered performance wingsuiting in 2023, it clicked right away. He went on to win 1st in Western Canada and 3rd place in the Canadian Nationals for wingsuit performance that year. With a strong belief in constant improvement and the value of coaching, training and discipline, Bradley has quickly shown to be a strong competitor and has become a respected figure in the local skydiving community. This year he will be going to the World Championships in North Carolina to represent the Canadian national team, with the end goal of being the top Canadian athlete.
Tyler
Skydive Vancouver Island Sponsored Athlete
As an avid surfer, snowboarder, and all round outdoor enthusiast, it came as no surprise for Tyler to find a whole new level of adventure in skydiving! With over 600 jumps since starting in 2014, Tyler quickly found a love for the sky and more recently the awesome feeling he gets when he sets flight out of the plane in a wingsuit! Although skydiving is a big part of his life, he has shifted gears and is now a member of the Canadian Para Snowboarding Team. Achieving a Gold medal in Snowboard Cross LL1 and a Bronze medal in Snowboard Banked Slalom LL1 for Canada at the 2022 Paralympics in Beijing, Tyler is taking the world by storm and we are blessed to support his journey!
Jack
Skydive Vancouver Island Mascot
There isn't a day that Jack doesn't love hanging out at the dropzone ready to play with humans and dogs alike! Joining the team in 2021, Jack has become accustomed to seeing parachutes soar around the sky above and the excitement as people holler with joy. His energy is never ending but when he is not at the dropzone, Jack can be found lounging at home snoring away getting ready for the next day!
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