Minneapolis skydivers win gold medal at national championships in North Carolina

Minneapolis skydivers win national championship in North Carolina

Diving with their Platinum XP team, two Minneapolis residents won the 4-way skydiving national championships earlier this week in North Carolina. (U.S. Parachute Association)

RAEFORD, NC (FOX 9) - Two Minneapolis skydivers are newly-crowned national champions.

The U.S. Parachute Association National Skydiving Championships announced Minneapolis residents Max McParland and Ryan Weeks were part of team Platinum XP, which took home the intermediate 4-way formation skydiving gold medal earlier this week in Raeford, North Carolina.

Minneapolis skydivers win national championships in North Carolina

The second dive from Platinum XP, the team that won the national championships and features two Minneapolis residents. (U.S. Parachute Association)

According to the U.S. Parachute Association, the Minneapolis residents exited the plane more than two miles above the ground with their two other teammates. In the competition, they race against the clock to form prescribed geometric formations while freefalling before they open their parachutes.

Platinum XP celebrates national championship

The Platinum XP team, winners of the 4-way formation skydiving national championship, celebrate their win. (UPSA/David Cherry / FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul)

Behind them, a videographer captured their maneuvers for the judges on the ground.

Followed by a videographer for the judges below, the Platinum XP team won gold this week. (USPA/David Cherry)

McParland, 28 is an analytic consultant for Wells Fargo and has completed more than 700 skydives. The other Minneapolis resident, Weeks, is 30 years old and has more than 800 jumps on his record.

More than 600 of the country’s best skydivers competed in the event, which runs through next week in North Carolina.