posted Nov 6th, 2008 - The NSL News promised on 2 November 2008 that the last three rounds of the French 8-way team at the USPA Nationals 2008 would soon be added to the special NSL-TV page of this event. The videos have now been uploaded and can be reviewed at any time.

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These three jumps had its own drama, as the NSL News explained from Eloy on 23 October 2008.

The fast sequence of Round 8 could lay the foundation for a serious challenge of the 22.4 record average in 8-way that was set by the Golden Knights in 1997. The score of Round 9 would have to help maintain a new record level, and the slow sequence of Round 10 would make or break the record attempt.

Everything went perfectly for the French 8-way world champions in Round 8. The flawless performance brought France to a new team record for a single round with the 30-pointer for a sequence with three random formations and a fast block (Donut Flake - Donut Flake). The 30-pointer was only one single point short of the official 8-way world record for a single round, also posted by the Golden Knights in 1997.

The French 21-pointer for Round 9 was four points faster than Arizona Airspeed and six points higher than the USA 8 team.

However, it was not as flawless as the performance for Round 8 had been. Two smaller glitches and the missed completion of a block move (Lego - Eye) within working time cost the French 8-way team at least one scoring point. Everything now depended on the score for Round 10, and it was a very slow sequence to come.

The 6-point sequence of Round 10, with three slow 8-way blocks, surely did not make it easy for France to go after the 22.4 record average. The team needed a 21-pointer to set a new 22.5 world record average. It seemed to be an impossible task, even for the French 8-way machine.

The video shows that the team gave it all and tried to make the impossible happen. The energy and dynamics of the French Round 10 really look like a situation where the team seems to be in second place after nine rounds trying to win the meet. France was 37 points ahead of Arizona Airspeed before Round 10.

The French 8-way competitors enjoyed the special task of pursuing the record average. Stéphane Mistrot Dit Pachet's video of Round 10 offers a few special features. He introduces each team member prior to the jump, and he also shows his special exit procedures with the rear-rear floater right before the exit. The pressure may not have been as serious as it looked from the outside...

It still didn't work, the sequence was simply too slow for the needed 21-pointer. 18 points were posted on the scoreboard, and France ended up two points behind the 22.4 record average. Breaking this longest standing record remains as a potential challenge for the new French 8-way lineup.

France did not lose any points in the judging room at all. The Omniskore judging sheet shows not even one single penalty situation throughout the 10-round meet. Two lonely marks in Round 6 are the only dirty spots on the cleanest scoresheet of the whole 8-way competition.

The future of the French 8-way team was still open when the NSL News left Eloy. There will be a new and strong 8-way lineup without a question, as national coach Jerome David already said earlier. He had planned to announce the new team members this month.

However, the selection may take longer, as he was still trying to convince a few of the 2-time world champions to give it two more years. The NSL News will follow up as soon as the selection has been completed.