posted Feb 13th, 2009 - The long wait is over, the first scores of the 2009 season will be posted this weekend. It's time again for the Valentine's Meet, which has been the season opener for many years. It is also the first meet of the Arizona Skydiving League 2009, as Arizona Divewerkz speaker Blane Boynton mentioned in the AZDW update on 3 February 2009.

As usual, Skydive Arizona in Eloy is hosting the competition. Meet Director veteran Bryan Burke manages the event, and chief judge Judy Celaya travels from California to Arizona to take care of the business in the judging room.

The Valentine's Meet 2009 will feature the first 2009 showdown between Airspeed Odyssey and Perris Fury. Odyssey defends the hometurf, while the team from California wants to make the first step to get as close as possible to the reigning 4-way world champions.

It is Fury's declared goal to win the USPA Nationals 2009 and qualify as the US national 4-way team for the World Championship of Formation Skydiving 2010 in Russia.

The results of the Valentine's Meet this weekend will show what has happened between the USPA Nationals 2009 and now. There was a difference of 24 points between Airspeed (24.2) and Fury (21.8) after the ten rounds in October 2008, and the NSL News covered the situation in Eloy extensively.

The difference between the same two teams was actually slightly smaller at the Valentine's Meet 2008 where Airspeed Odyssey and Perris Fury posted their first scores of the 2008 season. Airspeed won by 22 points (21.7 - 19.5) after ten rounds in Eloy.

Both teams obviously increased their scoring level significantly throughout the 2008 season.

The NSL News gave the 2008 race between Airspeed and Fury special attention with the story on 17 October 2008 and compared the teams directly with each other ever since the current Airspeed Odyssey lineup was formed at the beginning of the 2007 season.

The chart was not complete at that time since the scores of the USPA Nationals 2008 were missing by then. Perris Fury had narrowed the difference step by step ever since both teams were in direct competition since 2007. The gap became wider for the first time after the USPA Nationals last year. This weekend's 10-round competition will obviously indicate where both teams are right now and what to expect throughout the 2009 season.

Canada's national 4-way LeMay family team Evolution opened the 2008 season at the Valentine's Meet, and the Italian national 4-way team of 2008, the Spin Team, posted the first 2008 scores in Eloy, as well. Airspeed, Evolution and Spin Team then represented their countries at the World Meet 2008 in France, Maubeuge, in August 2008. Arizona Directe, Arizona Divewerkz and Far East completed the AAA Class field at the Valentine's Meet 2008. Eight additional teams competed in the AA Class competition.

The NSL News is in stand-by throughout the weekend, and the scores will be posted as soon as they become available.