posted Jan 15th, 2012 - The NSL News reported on 9 January 2012 that there are only three competitors who have competed at each World Challenge since Bodyflight Bedford launched the event in 2006. Arizona Airspeed and NMP-PCH Hayabusa are the only teams who attended each of those events, both of them year by year and with different lineups.

One team joined Airspeed and Hayabusa with their annual visits in Bedford in 2007 and has not missed a meet ever since. It's the mysterious XL project with its ever changing lineups that manages to threaten the best 4way teams in the world and steal serious portions of the jackpot without much training. In fact, XL has never left Bedford without at least the prize money for the 4th place in the pockets.

There are also several other competitors who have competed at World Challenges since 2007. However, only Airspeed, Hayabusa and XL have had their team names on the leaderboard since 2007.

World Challenge 2007		Rd. 1	Rd. 2	Rd. 3	Rd. 4	Rd. 5	Rd. 6	Rd. 7	Rd. 8	Rd. 9	Rd. 10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class	19-O-5	A-G-K-P-M	13-9-N	Q-10-F-B	1-J-20	8-16-D	11-14-7	L-2-21	4-C-12	H-15-3	Total	Avg
1	USA Airspeed Odyssey	26	42	31	31	24	26	24	24	24	28	280	28.0
2	USA Fastrax	26	43	32	30	24	26	23	24	25	26	279	27.9
3	UK XL	27	44	30	32	24	21	17	21	21	24	261	26.1
4	Belgium HayaBusa Defence	23	41	29	27	21	20	21	20	21	24	247	24.7
5	Russia Sky Panthers	24	43	30	28	8	23	20	21	21	25	243	24.3

Pete Allum, Steve Hamilton and John McIver, outdoor team mates of earlier XL years, decided to have a reunion at the World Challenge 2007 where they would meet their team mate of the last outdoor lineup in 2003, Thomas Hughes. He was not available to make it a competitive and original reunion since he was training and competing with Fastrax that year. Brian Johnson had no other commitment and took the slot.

The XL 2007 lineup could not keep up with Airspeed and Fastrax who gave each other a 1-point battle. However, they outscored Hayabusa and Sky Panthers to win the bronze medals and a few thousand dollars. Not too bad for a pickup team and for the first XL reunion.

They all liked the idea and the fun that came with it, and the annual XL reunion project continued a year later. John McIver was not available in 2008, as he had a player coach commitment with Sonic V. Brian Johnson once again filled the open XL slot for three original members (Pete Allum, Steve Hamilton, Thomas Hughes). This lineup finished even in 2nd place and only two single points behind the winner, Airspeed Odyssey.

World Challenge 2008		Rd. 1	Rd. 2	Rd. 3	Rd. 4	Rd. 5	Rd. 6	Rd. 7	Rd. 8	Rd. 9	Rd. 10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class	21-18-13	15-11-F	E-H-19-O	14-2-N	12-1-K	Q-5-C-3	P-9-A-J	6-G-7	4-10-M	16-20-B	Total	Avg
1	USA Airspeed Odyssey	21	26	37	23	22	33	45	29	21	26	283	28.3
2	XL	22	25	38	23	23	30	43	29	24	24	281	28.1
3	USA Perris Fury	21	21	33	22	21	27	43	29	22	22	261	26.1
4	Norway Arcteryx	20	23	33	21	21	29	39	29	23	22	260	26.0
5	Belgium HayaBusa Defence	20	23	35	20	21	22	42	26	23	22	254	25.4
6	Russia Skylight Barkli	19	16	33	20	17	24	45	26	21	21	242	24.2

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World Challenge 2009		Rd. 1	Rd. 2	Rd. 3	Rd. 4	Rd. 5	Rd. 6	Rd. 7	Rd. 8	Rd. 9	Rd. 10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class	17,10,4	19,Q,8	G,7,D,9	A,C,E,H,K	14,M,J,3	N,16,6	20,F,12	15,21,L	13,22,18	11,2,B	Total	Avg
1	USA Airspeed Odyssey	23	26	36	53	29	27	24	24	21	25	288	28.8
2	USA Perris Fury	22	20	38	59	22	26	21	24	22	23	277	27.7
3	Belgium HayaBusa Defence	22	25	32	56	25	25	21	25	21	23	275	27.5
4	XL	21	24	35	51	25	25	23	25	20	24	273	27.3
5	Aerodyne Cypres Maubeuge	22	26	34	44	26	25	22	24	22	23	268	26.8

The original lineup of 2003 had still never competed together at the World Challenge, and it was time to change that. John McIver was now with Satori, however, the XL reunion in 2009 had first priority this year. XL alternate Brian Johnson filled in for him at Satori. Pete Allum and Stefano Hamiltoni had their own commitments with Sinapsi, the new Italian national 4way team. They still dedicated the World Challenge 2009 to the XL reunion.

Thomas Hughes was the 4th original member and was getting ready for a very strong 2009 season with Spaceland Force XP. Fortunately, his new team had no plans for the indoor competition in Bedford, and the real reunion was complete.

XL was once again in the mix for the medals and the money but ended up in 4th place only with the original lineup. Especially this year it did not matter much, as the actual reunion in Bedford was the most important thing. All four team members of 2003 had been in Bedford before for a World Challenge, but 2009 was the first time that they competed together again since the World Meet 2003 in Gap, France.

World Challenge 2010		Rd. 1	Rd. 2	Rd. 3	Rd. 4	Rd. 5	Rd. 6	Rd. 7	Rd. 8	Rd. 9	Rd. 10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class	5,4,12	J,M,E,D,L	20,17,8	15,18,7	22,A,F,K	21,C,G,6	9,19,16	B,13,14	H,P,O,3	N,2,10	Total	Avg
1	France Aerodyne Aerokart	22	63	23	26	31	28	29	28	32	23	305	30.5
2	XL	21	57	24	25	35	29	28	25	37	23	304	30.4
3	Belgium NMP-PCH Hayabusa	22	57	23	25	36	28	28	26	34	22	301	30.1
4	USA Perris Fury	21	66	23	24	33	27	26	26	33	19	298	29.8
5	USA Arizona Airspeed	23	55	23	25	30	29	26	27	36	22	296	29.6
6	France Aerokart PCs	20	62	22	24	30	25	27	26	36	22	294	29.4

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World Challenge 2011		Rd. 1	Rd. 2	Rd. 3	Rd. 4	Rd. 5	Rd. 6	Rd. 7	Rd. 8	Rd. 9	Rd. 10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class	10,C,5	20,P,2	H,M,Q,K,A	L,J,16,12	E,7,15	O,11,22	14,B,17	6,13,9	4,3,21	1,G,8	Total	Avg
1	Belgium NMP-PCH Hayabusa	27	25	65	29	33	23	28	28	22	25	305	30.5
2	USA Arizona Airspeed	26	24	60	27	34	24	27	28	23	25	298	29.8
3	France Aerodyne Aerokart	26	25	52	27	31	25	29	27	24	24	290	29.0
4	XL	25	24	58	24	32	24	26	25	21	23	282	28.2

Pete Allum and Stefano Hamiltoni were still with Sinapsi during the World Championship season of 2010. However, the Italian team did not sign up for the World Challenge, and they both were ready for more XL action in Bedford.

Thomas Hughes did not really have any team obligations in 2010 after Spaceland Force failed to qualify as the US national team at the USPA Nationals 2009. He had no problem signing up for the next XL reunion at the World Challenge 2010. John McIver had to compete with his team this time, as Satori was getting ready for the World Meet 2010 in Menzelinsk. It was time again for Brian Johnson to fill the open XL slot, and it worked out very well once again. XL with Brian Johnson repeated the little miracle of 2008 and finished in 2nd place, this time only one single point behind the new winners from France, Aerodyne Aerokart.

The World Challenge 2011 saw a new XL member. Pete Allum and Steve Hamilton were back in again, this time with no other team commitment at all. Thomas Hughes was now with the new Arizona Airspeed lineup and John McIver still with Satori. Of course, Brian Johnson took one of the two open slots, and former Airspeed world champion Andy Delk made his XL debut with a 4th place. So, who will be with XL this year? Pete Allum and Steve Hamilton have not missed a meet yet since 2007, Brian Johnson is as available as always, and so is Andy Delk. The World Challenge could become the first time that XL comes back with the same lineup as the year before...