posted Aug 3rd, 2009 - It's getting serious in Germany and Russia now where the national championships are about to begin. Both events have their competition draws tomorrow. The German teams made three official training jumps today. Information will flow in the next days. The updates from Russia will be more challenging, as there is no internet connection at the moment.

The three top teams at the German Nationals 2009 don't communicate much of their training results with each other. X-Ray Remscheid member Mike Vetter said that is is like a poker game at the competition site. It means that all three top contenders, FSC Eisenach-Paratec, EADS and X-Ray Remscheid, are taking each other quite serious in the race for the top spot of the AAA/Open Class, while Incognito Leutkirch and Chicas will battle for the female 4-way title.

Former DeLand Majik 4-way world champions of 2004 Gary Smith and Solly Williams are in Germany to coach the teams that they have been working with in the past years. Gary Smith is helping X-Ray Remscheid and Incognito Leutkirch, while Solly Williams takes sides with FSC Eisenach-Paratec.

The NSL News too a quick look into the past and went back to the two previous major events in Germany, the German Nationals 2007 and the DFV Cup 2008. The current national team, FSC Eisenach-Paratec, won both events over X-Ray Remscheid. EADS did not compete at either event, as the former national team discontinued with training and competition after the World Meet 2006 in Germany.

Eisenach won by 32 points (18.9 - 15.7) in 2007. X-Ray had a personnel change and a new lineup in 2008, and the difference to Eisenach shrank to six points (18.3 - 17.7) at the DFV Cup 2008. The X-Ray progression is obviously a good reason for Eisenach to take this year's national championship seriously. It will not be a walk in the park, as it was in 2007.

There is also the open EADS factor. The national team of 2006 had finished with an 18.8 average at the World Meet in Germany that year. It was only a 5-round competition, but EADS had already posted a 19.3 average in a fast competition draw earlier in 2006. Chances are good that the three teams will give each other the most exciting race in the German 4-way history.

The same review of the events in 2007 and 2008 shows that the Chicas increased their scoring level significantly, as well. The all-female 4-way competition in Germany will probably be just as exciting as in the Open Class, as the NSL News reported already earlier.

Incognito Leutkirch was still competing in the A Class when the Chicas scored a 13.3 average at the German Nationals 2007. Incognito won the A Class competition with a landslide victory (13.5 - 8.9) over the other German teams. Then they moved up into the AAA Class and placed 4th on the Open Class leaderboard a year later, with a 14.2 average. The Chicas already felt the heat last year but still won the female competition (15.7 - 14.2) without a problem.

The Top 5 of 2008, including Final Four, will most likely take the top positions again this year. Only EADS will shake up last year's leaderboard this week. It will be a very interesting week in Germany.