posted Mar 3rd, 2012 - The amateur story is not over yet and continues with new information. There was actually another 10-round competition after the ESL Championship 2006 where an "amateur team" scored higher than Hayabusa's 20.5 average.

The German national 4way team Paratec-Saar cannot get credit for the 22.4 average at the World Meet 2010 in Menzelinsk, Russia. However, the same team with the same lineup had also posted a 20.8 average during the qualification event for Russia, the German Nationals 2009.

It was a 10-round meet without a Super Sequence on the team's home turf in Saarlouis, host of the World Cup 2011 where the same team with the same lineup won the 4way bronze medals over Sky Panthers Barkli. This 20.8 average might be the standing highscore posted by an "amateur team".

German Nationals 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	L,11,1	20,16,18	5,14,8	F,K,2,N	B,C,E,17	22,M,J,19	H,G,O,12	7,10,9	Q,21,D,15	13,4,P	Total	Avg
1	FSC Eisenach-Paratec	17	16	15	28	33	19	24	17	20	19	208	20.8
2	EADS	17	14	16	27	28	19	19	16	18	17	191	19.1
3	X-Ray Remscheid	17	13	15	24	29	19	17	17	17	19	187	18.7
4	Chicas	15	13	14	22	24	18	19	16	17	16	174	17.4
5	Incognito Leutkirch	15	12	13	23	21	16	19	17	17	16	169	16.9

The question is once again how to compare the scores accurately. It is a fact that any Super Sequence boosts a meet average significantly and cannot be compared realistically to a competition draw without a Super Sequence. All other competition draws at 10-round meets are at least not too far and too different from each other.

The other question is behind the relevance of the competition where a potential international record average was posted. Keeping track of national records is easy by counting only the results at national championships. Applying the same concept internationally would not allow to give either Hayabusa or Paratec-Saar credit for the highest average, as they were not posted after ten rounds at a FAI World Meet or World Cup.

Ten rounds at a FAI World Meet or World Cup were completed in 2011 when Paratec-Saar posted a 19.6 average. The Spin Team from Italy completed only seven rounds in Maubeuge 2008 and had an 18.7 average by then. Paratec-Saar also posted a 19.7 average at the World Cup 2007 in Russia

World Cup 2007		Rd. 1	Rd. 2	Rd. 3	Rd. 4	Rd. 5	Rd. 6	Rd. 7	Rd. 8	Rd. 9	Rd. 10	Rd. 11	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class	8,4,9	P,7,13	14,F,1	21,3,6	K,N,2,5	L,G,20,22	E,19,17	11,B,J,15	M,16,O,D	12,C,Q,10	H,A,18,5	Total	Avg
1	HayaBusa Defence	19	27	21	20	24	21	24	25	30	19	22	252	22.9
2	France Maubeuge	21	26	21	19	23	21	24	25	30	20	21	251	22.8
3	Russia Sky Panthers	23	23	22	19	25	18	21	24	32	22	-	229	22.9
4	Russia Black Cat	20	24	19	19	19	21	24	20	31	23	-	220	22.0
5	Norway Arcteryx	19	21	19	19	21	18	20	21	27	18	-	203	20.3
6	Aerokart Seloger	18	23	20	18	21	18	19	20	27	16	-	200	20.0
7	Paratec-Saar	19	20	17	19	19	16	20	22	27	18	-	197	19.7

Other than that, does Norway's national team Arcteryx count as an amateur team with the 20.3 average at the same event in 2007? The team members all had normal jobs and normal lives while they trained and competed. Arctery was also standing at 22.5 after eight rounds in Maubeuge 2008. Were the DeLand Norgies ever a full time team? They surely are not any longer when they visit DeLand in a few weeks to compete at the Paraclete XP Outdoor Championship 2012.

It is probably fair to consider and compare the scores at any national championship and at the international events, sanctioned by FAI or not, as long as it is a 10-round competition without a Super Sequence.

One fact stands out in the discussion of this interesting topic. The best "amateur teams" are the ones that stay together for a long time. Paratec-Saar and Hayabusa are two of the best international examples. The Germans never went full time, as three of the original Hayabusa members eventually did. They compete for gold medals now. So does the French national 4way team after many years together. Mass Defiance made the same point years ago in the USA. It seems to make a lot of sense to keep a team project going and continue with the same members as long as possible.