San Diego Realtor Josh Higgins took a leap of faith earlier this month when he skydived straight into a party celebrating his team’s one-year anniversary with Compass — right as the tech-forward company’s CEO, Robert Reffkin, was making a toast to the assembled crowd.
Higgins, a 15-year real estate professional who served in the army and is now a father of two, executed the stunning party crash Nov. 6 during a beachside celebration commemorating Compass San Diego’s one-year anniversary.
Josh Higgins
“Skydiving is really my version of golf,” said Higgins, who has tallied more than 4,000 jumps as a licensed skydiver. “I have a lot of clients from skydiving and surfing.”
The idea first occurred to a Compass advertising employee. Higgins, who used to practice skydiving as a hobby, would literally crash the beachside celebration.
And so, after getting in touch with a local skydiving team, Higgins took a “calculated risk” and excused himself from the party on the beach at La Jolla, an affluent town near San Diego.
While Reffkin and Compass agents were celebrating at a beachside cafe, Higgins got into a helicopter, jumped 4,000 feet and landed right by the party, just after Reffkin had begun a speech to the crowd of Compass agents and employees.
“An agent and friend even said ‘man, I cannot believe Josh is missing this party,'” Higgins said. “And then he looked up and he saw me.”
Reffkin was so surprised and touched that he posted a video of Higgins’ arrival on his Instagram page.
The jump was a big surprise and definitely set the festive mood, although Higgins does not advise those who do not have a background in skydiving to attempt the stunt. For Higgins, it was also a return to his past — with two kids, he skydives a lot less, and instead surfs and skis.
Courtesy of Josh Higgins
“It’s a great opportunity to hang out with your CEO, right?” Higgins said.
Watch the full video of Higgins’ jump below: