Big O Boogie
- Dates
- September 4–7, 2026
- Location
- Skydive Orange, Inc. · Orange, VA
- Price
- Registration ~$45–50
- History
- Began 2001 as the 'Mr. Fabulous' memorial boogie; became 'The Big O' in 2002. DZ operating since 1977.
The Big O Boogie is Skydive Orange's flagship event and the biggest boogie in Virginia, regularly drawing hundreds of jumpers, exhibition skydivers and spectators to the Orange County Airport each year. Skydive Orange is one of the country's longest-running club-operated drop zones, with the first jump made at the airport back in 1977.
The event has a meaningful origin: it began in 2001 as the 'Mr. Fabulous' boogie, a memorial honoring Daniel Stig Fabio, a jumper killed in 2000. In 2002 it became the Annual Orange Boogie and earned its enduring nickname, 'The Big O.' Over the years it has grown into a multi-day festival — past editions have run as long as five days and tallied thousands of jumps, set a Virginia state vertical record, and brought in as many as three fixed-wing aircraft plus a helicopter, alongside double-digit load organizers from around the world.
Beyond the flying, the Big O is known for its party: themed costume nights, a Swoop and Chug competition, food vendors, music, and a spectator-friendly setup (spectators get in free and watch from a dedicated area beside the landing zone). Skydive Orange's modern hangar — padded packing space, air-conditioned classrooms, debrief TVs, a gear store and on-site rigging — anchors the whole event.
Highlights
- Biggest boogie in Virginia
- Themed costume party nights
- Swoop and Chug competition
- Free spectator viewing area
- Food vendors & music
- Past Virginia state vertical record
Aircraft
- • Multiple fixed-wing aircraft (Super Otter, CASA)
- • Helicopter (R44 / Huey in past years)
- • Up to 3 aircraft at peak
Load organizers & camps
- • World-class RW & freefly load organizers
- • Big-way and beginner 4-way groups
- • Canopy courses & scrambles
- • Past organizers incl. Kirk Verner
About the dropzone
Skydive Orange, Inc. — Orange, VA · # Skydive Orange, Inc. – Virginia's Premier Skydiving Center Since 1977 Skydive Orange has operated continuously in Orange, Virginia since 1977, establishing itself as Virginia's #1 skydiving destination and the largest tandem skydiving center near Northern…
What is a skydiving boogie?
A boogie is a multi-day skydiving event hosted by a dropzone — typically a mix of organized loads, big-way attempts, freefly camps, canopy courses, novelty aircraft (helicopters, hot-air balloons, high-altitude jumps), and a serious after-hours party scene. Boogies pull jumpers from across the country to one DZ for a long weekend of jumping you can't get on a normal Saturday.
A camp is narrower in focus — a coached event aimed at a specific skill (4-way formation, head-down freefly, big-way, canopy piloting). A competition is exactly what it sounds like: USPA-sanctioned or open competition where teams or individuals compete in specific disciplines.
If you're newer to the sport, boogies are the most fun way to see what the jumping community is really like — and where you'll see what camps and disciplines you might want to chase next.
Sources