Skydiving: Age shall not ground Hank Spijkerbosch

Rotorua skydiver Hank Spijkerbosch (with trophy) receives a top honour for his involvement in the sport. Also pictured are his skydiving mates (from left) Trevor Stafford-Bush, Ron Leech, John Hewitt, Ken Ralston, and Frank Conway. Photo/Supplied.

Rotorua's Hank Spijkerbosch, the eldest active skydiver in the the country, has received a top award for his service to skydiving.

Spijkerbosch has been sport jumping for 46 years since taking his first plunge in Rotorua in 1967.

He was awarded the Gordon Calder Memorial Trophy for Excellence at a Parachutists Over Phorty Society (POPS) meeting in Matamata last month.

The award recognises his involvement in the sport during the past five decades.

Spijkerbosch is a long-time member of the New Zealand Parachute Federation and a foundation member of the New Zealand POPS.

The 72-year-old still loves to skydive and even had three jumps last weekend.

"As long as I'm alive, and able to, I will jump," he said.

Every two years Spijkerbosch and other members from POPS are invited to different skydiving events across the world.

He has experienced the thrill of skydiving in places like Holland, Italy and Australia and hopes to travel to Argentina next year.

Spijkerbosch has only ever had one accident since learning to skydive.

"My second ever jump had a parachute failure," he said.

"I opened my reserve and landed in Lake Rotorua. I was okay... I was very close to not being okay.

"The instructor said 'go home put on some more clothes and come back. If you don't do another jump on the same day you won't do it again'."

Spijkerbosch said he jumped again that day and had never looked back.