posted May 13th, 2013 - The idea of a female 8way team is not new and was born even before the IPC (International Parachuting Commission) created the female 4way category. The new event was tested at the World Championship of Formation Skydiving 1999 for the first time and officially integrated in Spain 2001.

Passion 8, the female 8way team from Perris, competed already in the Intermediate Class of the USPA Nationals 1997 and moved up into the 8way Open Class competition in 1998. Perris owner Melanie Conatser had launched the project and was a team member of the original lineup (Melanie Conatser, Jackie Dineen, Doro Lusty, Lisa Savage, Karin Sako, Amy Goriesky, Doro Lusty, Morgan Case).

The female 8way team disbanded after winning the 8way bronze medals at the USPA Nationals 1999 with an 11.7 average.

It took several years before Perris Moxie resumed the same idea in 2006. Christy Frikken guided Kelly Middleton, Terry Seaworth, Amy Von Nowak, Andi McNew, Celeste Campo, Janna Wynn and Kirstin Johnson, with Karen Lewis on camera, to a 7.4 average in the 8way Open Class of the USPA Nationals 2006.

Perris Moxie peaked with a 12.6 average (Christy Frikken, Kristina Peterson, Lara Eisenberg, Angela Katsoulis, Ellen Monsees, Kirsten Johnson, Baat Enosh, Orla Bannan, Meili Modini, William Morrison on camera) in 4th place at the USPA Nationals 2011 and competed again last year.

The Brit Chicks brought a female 8way team for the first time to the international arena at the World Cup 2011 in Germany and finished in 6th place of the Open Class competition with an 11.6 average. The Brit Chicks 8way team followed up at the Mondial Dubai 2012 as the first female 8way team representing a country at a World Championship of Formation Skydiving.

Mondial Dubai 2012		Rd. 1	Rd. 2	Rd. 3	Rd. 4	Rd. 5	Rd. 6	Rd. 7	Rd. 8	Rd. 9	Rd. 10	Total	Avg
Rank	8way Open	N,21,B,5	14,C,13	22,M,20	17,H,16	J,E,12,4	7,19,15	G,K,8,2	O,L,F,P,A	10,11,18	9,Q,D,1	Total	Avg
1	Golden Knights 8 (US)	21	19	27	26	26	18	20	28	19	25	229	22.9
2	Aerodyne Maubeuge (FR)	22	19	22	23	27	20	20	28	19	25	225	22.5
3	Sky Panthers Barkli 8 (RU)	19	18	22	22	21	15	15	24	16	20	192	19.2
4	EADS 8 (DE)	14	13	15	15	18	14	14	16	13	16	148	14.8
5	VIVA 8 (CH)	13	13	15	15	14	11	12	17	13	13	136	13.6
6	Dubai Asaar 8 (AE)	11	11	12	11	10	10	10	12	12	12	111	11.1
7	M8Trix (NL)	11	11	11	12	12	10	10	12	10	-	99	11.0
8	Brit Chicks 8 (UK)	11	11	12	11	14	10	11	11	6	-	97	10.8
9	South Africa 8 (ZA)	12	11	11	10	13	9	9	11	10	-	96	10.7
10	Qatar Falcons	11	9	11	11	12	9	9	11	8	-	91	10.1

Germany might become the next nation with a female 8way team. Klaus Mathies, President of the FSC Remscheid Parachuting Club, was one of the strong advocats for the introduction of the female 4way category in Germany when the IPC added the event in 1999. He initiated and supported the country's first female 4way team and financed the participation at the World Meet 2001 in Spain. Parat Remscheid (Kristina Monsees, Cindy Cooper, Birgit Brakhahn, Frauke Lympius, Marion Thomas, with Thomas Friess on camera) finished in 8th place with an 8.3 average.

A female 8way pickup team competed once at the German Nationals 2007, although the 8way event does not have its own female category, neither at international events nor on home turf. However, Klaus Mathies wants to launch a similar project to advance female Formation Skydiving competition in general. He cooperates once again with "Soroptimist International", a worldwide service organisation for women, which is "committed to a world where women and girls together achieve their individual and collective potential", as the mission statement explains.

France 2010 with Martial Ferre	Bonjour Blue Sky with Martial Ferre

Klaus Mathies is currently recruiting for the new FSC Remscheid lineup, and the first candidates have been invited to a selection camp. He hired French 4way and 8way world champion Martial Ferre who will visit the skydiving center in Magdeburg on the first June weekend (June 1 - 2). The potential team members will enjoy Martial Ferre's free coaching and advice and discounted jump rates in Magdeburg.

Martial Ferre has been coaching French 8way teams and brought them to the Paraclete XP Indoor Championship 2013 in the past years. He has also been coaching the Brit Chicks and is familiar with the dynamics of a female 8way team.

Interested German skydivers can contact Klaus Mathies directly by e-mail.