Out of the Blue

Hundreds of skydivers from around the nation gathered in a meadow north of Marion for the 56th annual Lost Prairie Boogie at Meadow Peak Skydiving from Aug. 5 through Aug. 13, 2023. Flocks of parachutes of all colors popped against the blue sky overhead as the humans attached to them drifted breezily back to Earth.

Minutes later, the next clutch of divers filed into a whirring prop plane on the runway before ascending to 13, 500 feet above the drop zone and leaping out the cabin door again — a cycle many divers repeat multiple times a day.

The ritual eternally retains its shine, even for Larry, a pilot who has skydived about 6,000 times over almost five decades. “It’s a lot of freedom,” he said. “It still gives you a rush.”

Like all sports, skydiving is not devoid of risk. A memorial garden on the edge of the meadow commemorates skydivers whose lives have ended, including Joel Atkinson, who was one of five who perished in a plane crash at Lost Prairie in 2007. A memorial scholarship exists in his name to help advance beginning skydivers in the pursuit.

For the divers of Lost Prairie, it’s about recognizing that all activities in life come with risk, and mitigating the potential for a tragic outcome accordingly. Time between jumps is spent checking equipment, and meticulously refolding chutes into their packs for the next jump. As summed up by a wing-suited skydiver who goes by the moniker of Monkey: “Driving with your eyes closed is dangerous, too.”

For more images from the Lost Prairie Boogie, see the photo gallery.