posted Feb 1st, 2012 - The Paraclete XP Indoor Championships 2012 includes another 8way competition. Nine teams attended this event last year and made it a real 8way competition, the first one in the windtunnel history.

It was a limited dive pool, as all 8way formations and block maneuvers do not fit into the flight chamber. It was still amazing to see how much 8way can be done. However, as Ben Liston recommended to his indoor participants at the New Hampshire 4way event in a 12-foot chamber: "Knee pads encouraged, my teammate’s moms have extras if you don’t have your own..."

The Golden Knights and Paraclete XP8 tunnel experts both posted 10-round averages above the still standing 22.4 world record of 1997. The US Army team won with an amazing 28.1 average under the observation of reigning French 8way world champions Martial Ferre and Damien Sorlin.

Paraclete XP Indoor 2011		Rd. 1	Rd. 2	Rd. 3	Rd. 4	Rd. 5	Rd. 6	Rd. 7	Rd. 8	Rd. 9	Rd. 10	Total	Avg
Rank	8way	4,K,16	Q,C,D,8	N,15,6	7,H,21	18,F,L,P	G,E,2,B	22,M,10	12,O,13	3,J,1	19,9,A	Total	Avg
1	USA Golden Knights	38	27	34	23	30	27	24	19	39	20	281	28.1
2	Paraclete XP8	30	22	28	19	26	23	17	18	38	18	239	23.9
3	Roguish Fury	25	18	21	13	20	12	19	17	25	14	184	18.4
4	Buttard 8	17	16	17	14	16	14	17	10	17	12	150	15.0
5	Monster	22	14	8	12	13	12	11	11	19	9	131	13.1
6	French Connection	18	14	13	12	14	9	11	4	13	10	118	11.8
7	SDC8XP	14	14	12	11	10	8	13	8	14	10	114	11.4
7	Infinity 8	15	14	9	12	12	12	11	8	12	9	114	11.4
9	8 Loko	7	7	3	1	6	4	5	6	7	6	52	5.2

Martial Ferre and Damien Sorlin brought two French 8way lineups to last year's competition who had a great time. In fact, they had so much fun that France is now coming back with even three 8way lineups this weekend.

It must have been impressive for the two French 8way world champions of 2010 to see how the Golden Knights delivered in the flying chamber. They were not any longer in the new French 8way lineup that was put together at the end of the 2010 season. However, they surely reported back to national manager Jeremie Rollett and 8way coach Erwan Pouliquen what they saw in the Paraclete 16-foot flying chamber.

It did not help much last year. The Golden Knights also delivered at the World Cup 2011 and won the 8way competition against France. The French 8way experts will watch again this weekend what the Golden Knights have to offer at this point in time.

The French 8way team will have a lot of information available when they begin with the team training in April. The Golden Knights will follow up with an 8way outdoor competition at the Shamrock Showdown 2012, and four of the eight French 8way competitors will witness the Golden Knights 8way performance at the battle with Russia's Sky Panthers Barkli in DeLand.

The four members of the French 4way team Aerodyne Aerokart, reigning world champions, are now all competing in 8way, as well. Mathieu Bernier was the only French competitor with double duties in 2010 and became the first and only one in history to win gold medals in both events at the same World Championship of Formation Skydiving. His three 4way team mates are now trying the same.

The French 8way lineup begins with the training in April, and the four other members stay in France during the Shamrock Showdown. However, they will probably compete in 4way at the upcoming Aerokart Indoor Championship and then again at the World Challenge 2012 where national manager Jeremie Rollett has already registered them under Aerokart Maubeuge.