It appears that 2014’s Couch Freak Boogie skydiving event at the Fort Dodge Regional Airport may be the last.

Citing a decrease in skydivers at the event and today’s changing conditions, the Des Moines Skydivers have announced they will not host the long-standing Labor Day event.

“The Fort Dodge Airport and community have been phenomenal partners,” said Jason Kent, vice president of special events for the Des Moines Skydivers. “Unfortunately, over the past several years the event has not seen the success that is needed to continue.”

Rhonda Chambers, the Fort Dodge airport’s director of aviation, said this wasn’t surprising.

“For the last couple years, attendance has been down,” Chambers said.

People had grown complacent about the event coming here, she said.

“I think a lot of people just took it for granted that they would be coming back every year,” said Chambers.

As skydiving grows more popular, it becomes easier to access the large aircraft throughout the year at drop zones, Chambers said.

“It’s just a different environment today,” she said. “It used to be the skydivers had to attend a ‘boogie’ like ours to have access to those larger aircraft. But the skydiving environment has evolved and changed, and many of those large aircraft are able to go to those clubs, the actual drop zones, consistently.”

The number of skydivers decreased over the past years, she said, even as the event remained popular with untrained jumpers.

“One thing that’s never changed is the number of people who wanted to come out and take a tandem skydive,” Chambers said.

The event has been held at the Fort Dodge Regional Airport over Labor Day weekend for nearly 30 years.

“This event could not have continued for as long as it did without the amazing support from the Fort Dodge community, the airport and staff,” Kent said.

“It was a very large event to have to set up every year, with electricity and fencing – we turned our airport into a drop zone for the weekend, and it’s not a drop zone for the rest of the year,” Chambers said.

The Des Moines Skydivers have a drop zone at the Winterset-Madison County Airport, where they hold regular jumps, offer instruction, and schedule tandem jumps, she said.

The club has more information, prices, and a sign-up form on its website, www.desmoinesskydivers.com.