posted Jul 7th, 2008 - The Coupe de France competition ran parallel with two other meets in Europe, while the US leagues had a weekend off. Mike Pennock, league manager in the Netherlands, reported that last weekend's event was the first one where he had teams competing in each of the four competition classes of the NSL/ESL Network.

He also said that the Netherlands had most beautiful weather, while France was struggling to get any jump planes in the air. Four coaches were on site and assisted the Dutch 4-way teams: reigning 4-way world champion Gary Smith, Marc Hoornweg, Johan Wieken and Leander van Schriek.

Two videos from the meet in the Netherlands are already available on NSL-TV and feature A Class team Cool Runnings with the team's Round 4 and Rookie Class team 4igami.

This season is the third year for Cool Runnings, with Joost van Heijenoort (Center Inside), Tom van de Valk (Point), and Mike Lake (Tail) and Sjoerd van Son (Center Outside) in the original lineup, and the team is back competing in the A Class where it all began in 2006.

The Cool Runnings slogan explains already that the team has a casual fun agenda: "Feel the rhythm - Feel the rhyme - Get on up - It's skydive time - Cool Runnings!!!

The team story began in Jamaica. Not really though...

Paul Hofstee and Gary Smith decided in 2006 to put a lot of efforts into improving the skill level of existing teams and individual flyers in the Netherlands by organising a skills camps on Texel in the Netherlands. Plan was to do a number of 3-on-1 jumps, with coaches from teams like Deland Fire (Gary Smith, Natasha Montgomery) and Punky Fish (Paul Hofstee, Bert Hajee and Johan Wieken).

All Cool Runnings members participated in this skills camp. Joost van Heijenoort, Tom van de Valk and Mike Lake flew together by then, and they decided to attend a Dutch League competition in August, a handicap competition for A Class and Rookie Class teams. Paul Hofstee agreed to fill the open slot for the team.

The 3-way with the player coach needed a team name for the meet and came up with Cool Runnings after watching the movie and liking it, as they commented: "It's really funny, and it shows what you can achieve if you give it a 110%." The team competed in the A Class at the first meet and finished with a 4.0 average after six rounds in August 2006.

The three Cool Runnings members decided to continue after this competition and were now looking for a permanent team member. They connected with Sjoerd van Son in November 2006, who had also participated in the same skills camp. Former Daltons member Jeroen van Dijk became Cool Runnings' videographer.

The complete lineup then met to set team goals and ways how to get there. The goals were a combination of improving the skills and have fun doing so. Cool Runnings then asked Paul Hofstee to work with the team.

Plan for 2007 were 50 training jumps and attendance at two competitions in the Rookie Class, the Tomscat Trophy and another Dutch League competition. Cool Runnings was also hoping for an invitation to compete for the Netherlands at the ESL Championship 2007 in Belgium.

Things turned out well for the new team. Cool Runnings posted a 5.6 average in June, followed up with 6.3 average in July after 40 training jumps and 1.5 hours windtunnel training. The team was invited to the ESL Championship 2008 and collected Dutch points in the Rookie Class to win the ESL Spirit.

New Cool Runnings plans for the 2008 season were made shortly after the conclusion of the ESL Championship 2007. The team decided to step up into the A Class and posted the first scores last weekend.

Serge's Angels won the A Class competition last weekend and began the team project in the same Dutch Rookie Class of 2007. The team was formed only a few months later than Cool Runnings, competed at four meets of the Dutch 2007 season and moved up into the A Class this year, as well.

Serge's Angels have their own way to introduce themselves:

S - Started in 2007 at a Dutch beginners boogie, Marion Weijman (Center Inside), Keetie Hobbel (Point), Serge Tensen (Center Outside) and Sylvia Krijnen (Tail) saw the FS light.

E - Even though we were almost called calimochos we got inspired by the characters of a certain movie where girls got balls, but are of course fearlessly led by Charlie. Our name was to be Serge’s Angels.

R - Rookies we were, but our first Tomscat Trophy competition in 2007 left us longing for more.

G - Growing along the way, with an incredible handicap score in the Dutch League Texel 2007, our first gold medal was in the pocket.

E - Eager we started the NKP 2007, and to our surprise we took home the gold again. Better yet, we became Rookies Class overall champions in 2007.

S - Spa, ESL Championship 2007, partytime.

A - A Class is our category of choice for 2008.

N - New suits and a funky logo, make us really feel like pro's.

G - Getting the points is a great challenge, but most of all it is big fun.

E - Especially Bert Hajee, our great coach, keeps us in check, got us to where we are today and hopefully leads us to so much more.

L - Last but certainly not least, let's not end without a shout out to two very important members of the team: Guido who always makes us look good, and Pim who takes care of the safe openings.

S - Serge is King, but the Angels Rock.