posted Nov 5th, 2007 - The videos of the first round of the NSL Championship 2007 have now been uploaded and feature the eight teams that made the trip to DeLand at the end of October.

Teiwaz Tempest was the only team in the AAA Class competition. The last 4-way event of the 2007 season was supposed to include the annual showdown between Optic Nerve and Teiwaz. Unfortunately, the weather was not promising for Sunday after no jumping on Saturday at all, and Optic Nerve decided to take the Sunday off. Two rounds were surprisingly completed on Sunday morning, and Teiwaz was the only AAA Class team on site. Perris Fury was prepared to compete, as well, but the weather did not allow for the necessary logistics.

Teiwaz Tempest is the new line-up that will begin training for the 2008 season. Chris Ash (Tail), Thiago Murradas (Point), Ari Perelman (Center Outside) and Kris Byrne (Center Inside) recently formed the team, as the NSL News reported on October 10. Kris Byrne was not available at the NSL Championship 2007, and her husband, Bob Byrne, filled the slot for Teiwaz Tempest.

Four teams competed in the AA Class competition, including all three Perris Fury project teams. Perris Momentum had competed in the A Class throughout the regular 2007 season in California. However, the line-up for the DeLand meet had significant personnel changes, as the NSL News reported on October 27.

Craig Babb and Josh Hall were the only original Momentum members since Tom Brotherton and Nate Halprin had to protect their properties, which were threatened by the wild fires in California. The Momentum line-up in DeLand, with Rusty Lewis and Nick Grillet filling in, decided to compete in the AA Class.

It made the meet more challenging for Craig Babb who is familiar mostly with the dive pool of the A Class. However, it was also a great experience for Babb to compete with two world-class 4-way competitors, Josh Hall and Rusty Lewis, and the up-and-coming talent from the Northern Plains, Nick Grillet.

Momentum had a 5.8 season average in the A Class after three meets (6.2 - 5.7 - 5.5) in California this year. The line-up in DeLand finished with a 9.3 average in the AA Class after three rounds, and Craig Babb did his job in the Point position to win a silver medal for Perris Momentum. FSC Wind Damaged and Perris Momentum were tied after two rounds, and the incomplete Round 3 served as the tie-breaker for these two teams in the AA Class.

Perris Jimani, with Jim Earman, Judy White, Chris Farina, Uli Stuewe and Niklas Daniel on camera, won the AA Class competition with a 10.5 average after two rounds.

ZT Mal4mations was without competition in the A Class, as well. The NSL Championship 2007 was the 8th 4-way meet for the team from Skydive Miami this year, which stands for the NSL participation record of the 2007 season.

Gary Hansen (Center Inside), Scott Johnson (Point), Ana Sang (Tail), Lance Smith (Center Outside) and Alex Batista (Camera), were ready to compete for the A Class title with Perris Momentum. They ended up as the only team in this competition class when Perris Momentum decided to move up a class with the new line-up.

There was competition in the Rookie Class though. Mile-Hi Mayhem from Colorado was the favorite for the NSL Rookie Class title after posting the highest scores of the 2007 season in the USA and competing with other Rookie Class teams from Europe for the highest meet averages this year.

It was a big surprise when Miami Vice, a line-up that was formed at Skydive Miami this year, posted the higher score in Round 1 (8 - 6). The 8-pointer in Round 1 was a new Miami Vice team record for a single round, and Javier Aguerrevere (Tail), Pedro Diaz Pow Sang (Center Inside), Shiva Krovi (Point) and Guido Marti (Center Outside) had a 2-point lead after the first round.

Mile-Hi Mayhem was not too impressed, as the team knew about its actual capabilities. Rounds two and three changed the situation and brought the Colorado team back to the top position. Craig Julien (Center Inside), Bob Meister (Point), Russ Moran (Center Outside), Kim Smith (Tail), with coach Rusty Lewis and Van Wideman on camera, won the new Aerodyne trophy for the annual Rookie Class champion.