By Maggie Downs
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Jon Martin of Clifton leaps out of a plane - 13,500 feet up - with Wes McCauley of Xenia on his heels. The jumpers took off from Skydive Wayne County in Richmond, Ind. The Enquirer/ E. COLEMAN

There are people who spend every lukewarm day working overtime, stuck in traffic, brimming with stress.

And then there are people who take to the sky - the ultimate road less traveled.

Those are the people you'll find at a boogie.

A boogie is like a skydiving convention, a gathering at which jumpers meet for fun rather than competition. And the first one was started not far from Cincinnati, just more than an hour away in Richmond, Ind.

Richmond "THE" Boogie is the second-largest skydiving boogie in the world, following the World Freefall Convention in Rantoul, Ill.

Skydiving occurs nearly year-round in Richmond, but the boogie is the highlight of the season.

Run by Jaime Praeter, Richmond "THE" Boogie draws about 1,000 registered skydivers from all over the world. During the six-day event, more than 8,000 skydives are made.

"Our boogie is known as a skydivers' boogie. If you go to the World Freefall Convention, the average jumper makes seven jumps during the boogie. Our average jumper makes 14," said Praeter, owner of Skydive Wayne County. "That brings a lot of people. We're laid-back. We're friendly. But we're here for jumping."

Manufacturers fill the main hangar to demonstrate and sell their goods. The event has one of the best safety records of any boogie in the world. And unique aircraft fly in from around the country, including a Skyvan, two Super Otters, an Alouette helicopter and Mike Mullins' Super King Air - among the fastest climbing jump planes in the country. (It brings 14 jumpers to 14,000 feet in seven minutes.)

The skydivers, who range in age from 18 to mid-70s, come from as far as Australia, South Africa, Ireland and Venezuela.

"This used to be a very local boogie," Praeter said. "But now it's common to have people from all over the world."

But the extravaganza is also fun for those who don't skydive, said veteran jumper Scott Saluga of Lebanon, who has been attending the boogie for the past 15 years.

"Non-jumpers can see a side of skydiving that really projects the fun of the sport, as well as the intricacies of the sport," he said.

It's a festival-type atmosphere with food and game vendors, where world-class skydivers will be landing every few minutes. First-timers can make a tandem jump, attached to an instructor, from an exotic aircraft. There are parties each night, free beer all weekend, a hog roast and music. Plus, the 800-acre airport has exceptional facilities for camping.

"The environment is really fun. It's fast-paced but also very laid-back," Praeter said. "Most of all, you get to meet a lot of cool people. It's a really interesting niche of the world."

The Richmond boogie was born from humble beginnings, created in the summer of 1972 by skydiver Garth Taggert as a fundraiser for the JayCee Boys Club. At that time, there was no dropzone (a skydiving center) in Richmond.

In 1976, the United States Parachute Association began hosting the skydiving national championships there, taking the place of the original boogie format. That continued until 1981.

In 1987, Jane and Steve Stewart held their first boogie over Labor Day weekend in Richmond. It was an end-of-the-skydiving-season celebration for their staff from Waynesville Skydiving Inc., a dropzone near Lebanon. With no advertising, the boogie still drew more than 200 people. Now Praeter, the Stewarts' daughter, carries on the tradition.

The welcoming feeling of the boogie is what draws more people every year, Saluga said.

"Since I've been skydiving, the sport has changed significantly, but the boogie has really remained true to its core," he said. "It's a gathering of friends to have a good time, to have no-pressure skydiving, to enjoy the camaraderie that skydiving brings."

This year's Richmond "THE" Boogie will be at Skydive Wayne County Sept. 1-6. There is a $35 registration fee, which is waived for first-time tandem students and spectators. Visit www.skydiverichmond.com for more information.

E-mail mdowns@enquirer.com