MARATHON -- Thrill-seekers from around the country will be in Marathon this weekend to see the tropical island views -- from 13,500 feet.

Sky divers began leaping from planes over the island chain Thursday, the opening day of the Keys Boogie sky-diving weekend that ends Sunday.

``The islands look so small when you first jump,'' said Pablo Perazzoli, a Chicago resident originally from Argentina. ``When you are under your canopy, you can look around and see all the beauty.''

Perazzoli was in the first group of sky divers Thursday. More than 100 experienced sky divers -- those who have done 200 jumps or more -- plus 50 first-timers will brighten the sky with their multicolored parachutes during the four-day event.

The Keys Boogie was held annually 1998 through 2006. But Skydive Sebastian, the club that runs the event, was unable to get permission in 2007 or 2008 from the Florida Keys Marathon Airport.

With the help of local officials, the sky-diving event resumes this year, Keys Boogie director Amanda Owens said.

Conditions were windy Thursday.

At one point, there were two waterspouts in the distance.

By afternoon, the remaining jumps were canceled when the wind became too gusty.

Brad Vancina, 37, a staff member of a Chicago sky-diving club and veteran of more than 8,400 jumps, said he hoped to make about 50 jumps over the four days. Some will be tandem jumps; he'll be attached to a novice skydiver.

``My dad is a pilot and he sees no sense in jumping out of an airplane,'' Vancina said.

The two Super Twin Otters used for the event have seats only for the pilot and copilot. During the event's first flight, 12 jumpers climbed aboard the plane and sat on the floor.

As the plane gained altitude, they began getting ready and checking their helmet-mounted cameras.

Pilot Dave Schwartz put on the green light to signal the plane was over the airport drop zone, and the jumpers leaped into the sky.

Vancina said his ``group of idiots'' did a free fly, in which the jumpers fall head-first toward the islands.

``Most people see sky divers on TV, and it is all belly style,'' he said. ``We're a newer generation of sky diving. Heads down.''

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