posted Oct 2nd, 2008 - The focus of the NSL News will slowly shift to the USPA Nationals 2008 from here on. After the usual previews of the event, once again, a comprehensive live coverage from Eloy will follow, and it will be very special and better than ever. The NSL News will explain some of the new features later.

Also once again, the USPA Nationals 2008 will be an international event this year, and a quite exciting one. French national coach Jerome David mentioned already at the World Meet 2008 that he plans to send his teams to Arizona in October. Now he provided the details of the French invasion of Eloy.

The competition of the French 8-way team at the World Meet 2008 was still not the last event for the leaving lineup of the past three years.

The new lineup will be selected in November this year, and the reigning 2-time world champions get a "Maubeuge Holidays" vacation in Arizona rewarding their great achievements before they retire.

The NSL News audience will probably remember that France had sent a delegation to the USPA Nationals 2007 at Skydive Chicago, as well. One of the two 4-way lineups competed under Maubeuge Holidays (Patrick Boulongne, Arnaud Mille, Thomas Perrin-Gachadoat, Erwan Pouliquen, with Justin Price on camera), while the 8-way team in Ottawa consisted of potential future 8-way members.

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The French 8-way lineup in Eloy will obviously be much stronger than last year's team in Ottawa. It will be interesting to see with how much opposition the best US 8-way teams will be able to come up with.

It will be just as exciting in 4-way. The French national 8-way team automatically brings the national 4-way lineup to Eloy, as well. Guillaume and Mathieu Bernier, Julien Degen and Jeremie Rollet are in both lineups for the last time before they will begin to focus only on 4-way until 2010.

Airspeed Odyssey fended off the French 4-way challenge at the World Meet 2008 by one single point and won the gold medals. Now the Arizona team has to defend the home turf against the same French lineup that wants to take over the top position in 4-way from here on.

The French competitors will still compete in both events at the USPA Nationals 2008. However, it might be an easier environment for them this time since 4-way and 8-way are more separated from each other at the upcoming event. The Airspeed Odyssey members will surely compete in 8-way and the other categories, as well.

The French 4-way lineup has a personnel change though.

Fabrice Rieu replaces Alex Pereira on camera. Fabrice Rieu was filming the French national 4-way team in the female category, Deep Blue, this year. Alex Pereira ended his career, and Fabrice Rieu's new assignment forces Deep Blue to look for a new videographer. The French female team will not compete at the USPA Nationals, however, the same lineup will continue for two more years. The NSL News will follow up later on this topic.

The national 8-way and 4-way teams are not the only French lineups traveling to Eloy. Jerome David also sends more potential members of the new national 8-way lineup, currently B-Team members.

Mamba Paniers, with two 8-way world champions (Manu Sarrazin, Clement Martin-Saint-Leon) and two B-Team members (Julien Olek, Arnaud Mille), already competed at the World Challenge 2008 this year (23.1) and won the French Nationals 2008 with a 20.4 average. Stephane Mistrot Dit Pachet will be filming the team in Eloy.

8-way player coach Erwan Pouliquen has two of his Maubeuge Holidays members of 2007 again in his lineup at this year's USPA Nationals: Thomas Perrin and Patrick Boulongne. They both won the silver medals at this year's French Nationals with a 19.7 average. Guillaume Bajolet is another B-Team member who completes this lineup. Sylvain Girault is filming the team.

The five B-Team members of these two French lineups at the USPA Nationals 2008 (Julien Olek, Arnaud Mille, Thomas Perrin, Patrick Boulongne, Guillaume Bajolet) will most likely be selected in November and join forces in the new French national 8-way team.

The French delegation in Eloy will consist of 19 competitors, lined up in one 8-way team and three 4-way teams. The USPA Nationals 2008 may become a rematch of the World Meet 2008 in the Open Class of Formation Skydiving competition.