After several years working together on the formation and creation of IJRU, for the final time, on December 15, 2019 the FISAC-IRSF membership gathered for a general meeting.

The assembled member countries voted to officially dissolve the organization. We ask the global rope skipping/jump rope community to join us in celebrating the achievements of FISAC-IRSF while looking towards the future.

“I would like to express my sincere appreciation to everyone I have met during my time serving for our wonderful sport of Rope Skipping as a board member. All the athletes, coaches, judges, officials and enthusiasts. You have been my inspiration and motivation during all years. My respect and gratitude also go towards all the founders and former board members who worked selflessly to advance our sport. Without your diligent service, Rope Skipping has never been brought up to this height.” - Takashi Ogawa, President

FISAC-IRSF helped lay the foundations of our sport in the international sporting community. IJRU plans to build upon the work of FISAC-IRSF and World Jump Rope Federation to help our sport reach new heights.

“On all my years as a FISAC-IRSF board member, I always believed that we were all starving to bring our Sport of Rope Skipping/Jump Rope one year at a time to the Greatness it is now, we still have many hurdles to go through in the future, but united, I believe we will surely reach our goals” - Ron Kappert, Executive Director, Past President 2000-2011

FISAC-IRSF through the years

For the past 24 years FISAC-IRSF has helped grow and promote the sport of rope skipping/jump rope around the world:

1. The first organization to promote rope skipping as a sport was the “International Rope Skipping Organization” (IRSO) founded by Richard Cendali which was essentially an American organization with two non-Americans on the Board of Directors who were elected by the US members. This organization split in the early 1990’s with a new organization, the “World Rope Skipping Federation” (WRSF) being formed in competition to the IRSO. In October 25, 1995 both these organizations dissolved and became the USAJRF

2. February 25, 1996 the founding meeting took place, Countries represented at this foundation meeting were Belgium, Netherlands, Sweden (representing the European Rope Skipping Organization, ERSO), Australia, USA, Canada and Hungary, it became the meeting of the first truly international rope skipping organization in both scope and representation, A draft constitution and the name “Federation Internationale de saut a la Corde” (FISAC) were adopted. By-laws were discussed and adopted, and the organization was up and running, Its first Board of Directors consisting of President, Eric de Boever of Belgium, Vice - President: Greg Bannerman (Australia) Secretary: Geert Hoste (Belgium), Treasurer: Jean Hodges (USA) Advisors: Josh Henson and Nancy Bell (AAU) and Board members Kajsa Murmark (Sweden), Eric Herber (Netherlands) and Richard Cendali (USA). To help the new organization establish itself, a first World Championship event was scheduled to be held in Sydney, the *1st - Australia in 1997. Rules were developed and adopted and these still form the basis of our current rules of competition. Eight countries competed, some under the FISAC flag as at that time they were not full members (USA, South Korea, Sweden, Hungary, Belgium, Canada, Denmark and the host Australia).

3. In 2000 Ron Kappert was elected President (2000-2011). With the original founding board members staying on for many more years, FISAC under his guidance was reconstituted and incorporated in Montreal, Canada, and the English translation “International Rope Skipping Federation” (IRSF) was added to the name. Additionally, an official color logo was designed and later added to the bylaws and constitution. Under the new constitution “Continental Organisations” were formalized and tasked to further develop rope skipping in their respective regions, by holding competitions, coaching and training initiatives.

4. In February of 2018, FISAC-IRSF and WJRF announced the intention to merge the two organizations to form the International Jump Rope Union. According to former FISAC-IRSF President, Takashi Ogawa, this decision was simple; in order to move the sport forward, FISAC-IRSF and WJRF needed to create a unified international organisation for the sole management of the sport at the international level.

Past tournaments

• 1997 Australia

• 1999 St. Louis, USA

• 2001 South Korea (Masters only)

• 2002 Gent, Belgium (Teams only)

• 2004 Gold Coast, Australia

• 2006 Toronto, Canada

• 2008 Cape Town, South Africa

• 2010 Loughborough, United Kingdom

• 2012 Tampa, USA

• 2014 Hong Kong, China

• 2016 Malmo, Sweden

• 2018 Shanghai, China

Thank you FISAC-IRSF

We would like to thank all of those who volunteered their time and energy to FISAC-IRSF over the years. There have been hundreds of people who have combined to provide their support, energy and involvement to progress our sport. Every athlete that took the floor and all of the parents, family members and volunteers that made this organization a success should celebrate the success that FISAC-IRSF has created.

We are excited to continue pushing our sport to new limits and we can’t wait to see what the future has in store!