‘Our next adventure together’: Mother, daughter Aspenites continue family tradition of women skydivers

Our Next Adventure Together

Four Generations of Women Skydivers

The story of four generations of women skydivers began in the 1970s with a chance meeting in a Pennsylvania bar. Larry Trach noticed Annie Kresge across the room at the Fox. Although nervous, he approached and said, “Hello. I am Larry, and I fly airplanes.” Annie replied, “Oh really? I jump out of them.”

“And that’s how this skydiving and flying family started,” said Rosalyn Pergande — Aspen local, pilot, and master-licensed skydiver.

Aspiring Skydiver Laila Pergande

Laila Pergande, Rosalyn’s daughter and recent Aspen High School graduate, spends entire days skydiving, leaping from sunrise to sunset. “Freefall is like a state of zen for me,” she shared while resting on rocks near a cliff on a clear day near Moab, Utah. “It makes you feel like a kid again — the sky is your playground.”

At 17, Laila became a student working toward her A-license from the United States Parachute Association, a nationally recognized organization accepted by the Federal Aviation Administration. She received her license shortly after turning 18 in mid-September.

Family Influence and New Horizons

Growing up watching her mother, Rosalyn, skydive, Laila reflected on the possibilities it opened. “I think it was cool to think about the possibilities,” she said. “For most people, skydiving is something you never really see or hear about. You’re not in that community already.”

Author's summary: Four generations of women skydivers share a unique family legacy, inspiring new horizons and a passion for freefall as a liberating experience.

AspenTimes.com — 2025-11-04