posted May 30th, 2008 - It is a fact now that the Spin Team with Marco Arrigo will represent Italy at this year's World Championship of Formation Skydiving in France. The NSL News story on 5 May 2008 mentioned that the team's appeal still needed official approval by the Italian Sporting Commission (CCSA).

CCSA now approved the status of the Spin Team as the national 4-way team, and Marco Arrigo will compete in 4-way and 8-way in August. The CCSA meeting took place in Rome on May 27.

The Spin Team, with Marco Arrigo, Antonella Chiarin, Alessandro Giovannini, Mirko Righi and Enzo Muro on camera, will compete for Italy at the beginning of August in France. However, the next challenge is waiting for the official national team of 2008 right after the world meet.

The national championship of Italy is scheduled for August 25 - 31, and it will be all but a walk in the park for the Spin Team. No serious competition for the Spin Team in Italy has appeared on this year's leaderboard so far. This will be different in August.

It is now also a fact that Sinapsi PD will have a comeback this year. Luca Marchioro, Livio Piccolo and Pete Allum have recruited Steve Hamilton as the team's new member in the Center Outside slot. Sinapsi PD will try to win and qualify as the national team for Italy in 2009.

The Spin Team attended the AZSL Valentine's Meet 2008 in February (16.0 after seven rounds) and has not competed with the new lineup ever since. Last weekend's competition in Fano took place without the Spin Team, as well.

The 3rd annual "Shake Meet", organized by Alimarche and Turbolenza, is the second biggest event in Italy after the national championship. There is only one more 4-way competition scheduled in Italy (Arezzo, June 21) where the Spin Team can get some competition practice before going to the world meet and then to the national championship where Sinapsi PD will be waiting.

Sinapsi PD member Livio Piccolo managed last weekend's competition in Fano and filled a slot for the winner in the AAA Class, Team Vertigo, as well. Vertigo (Marco Mancini, Max Cantini, Sara Mercati, Antonio Rubeca and alternate Livio Piccolo) had already attended the World Challenge 2008 in March with the original lineup (18.2) and followed up with 14.5 outdoor average after six rounds.

The recently synchronized AA Class was the most popular category in Fano with six teams. The three best Italian teams took the top three positions of the AA Class leaderboard on the May 24 weekend. Team Next won with a 10.5 average in the 10-team field.

The new A Class and Rookie Class in Italy had also one team in each category.

The Rookie Class team came from Greece, as the names of the Blue Rebels members indicate (Connie Chronopoulou, Giannis Delaportas, Stavros Tavoularidis, Sotiris Zapantiotis). Blue Rebels is the first team from Greece on any NSL leaderboard, and it was a great start with the first place and a 7.8 average.

Italy's advisor to the IPC Formation Skydiving committee, Sara Sacchet, reported a beautiful sunny competition day last weekend in Fano. The meet could be completed Saturday night with a big dinner and free beer after the award ceremony. Livio Piccolo added that several industry sponsors supported the event (Vector/Micron, Performance Designs, Vigil, Cypres, Turbolenza, Parasport, 90percent).

The 4th Shake Meet 2009 will again be scheduled at the end of May. The Fano skydiving center will be open daily in July. Livio Piccolo will be organizing loads for teams that need to train from the Pilatus Porter for the world meet in France. The Australian national team Airtite has already made plans for a training camp at the end of July in Fano with coach Joey Jones.

The NSL News will follow up later with more details of the showdown between the Spin Team and Sinapsi PD at the Italian Nationals 2008 in August.