posted Feb 27th, 2009 - It has been a while since the NSL News audience heard the last time from the Belgian national 4-way team, Hayabusa Defence, bronze medalist of the World Meet 2008 in France, Maubeuge.

The team name has been listed for quite a while on the event page of the World Challenge 2009. Other than that, the last update was posted on 4 October 2008 (Archives > 2008 > News > Search for "Hayabusa"). Hayabusa Defence had just won the CISM 2008 championship with a 30.5 average.

Hayabusa's personnel change after the World Meet 2008 was already covered comprehensively by the NSL News. Alternate Waedong So replaced former Center Inside, Luc Verstrepen, who is now Hayabusa's alternate and also listed as the team's coach. Danny Jacobs is still filming the team.

Team speaker Roy Janssen now updated the NSL News and said that the winter months have really been quiet for Hayabusa. Hayabusa's winter break lasted from October to January and had hardly any team activities. Roy Janssen said that the team members used the off time to "re-charge the Hayabusa batteries" and take care of personal business. There were also a few smaller team issues that neded to be resolved.

Hayabusa Defence is finally ready for the 2009 season: "Now we are back on track, and things are working well for us."

The new Belgian world class lineup started with the first hours of 2009 tunnel training in January. Roy Janssen explained the challenges that his team was facing due to the slot scramble that came with the personnel change:

"With So as our new Point and the Grauwels brothers switching their slots, it takes some time to get it all right. But the new configuration seems to be more balanced than before. All of us are adapting quickly to the new slots and piece partners."

David Grauwels was Hayabusa's Center Outside in 2008, and his brother Andy flew the Point position. David Grauwels now took Luc Verstrepen's Center Inside slot, while his brother moved to Center Outside. Only Roy Janssen is still in his old Tail slot.

Hayabusa Defence continues to work with coach Joey Jones. Team and coach are mutually excited about working together this year. Joey Jones recently told the NSL News that he has a busy season to come in Europe:

"I am busy as ever with winter training in Europe. Just completed a training week in Bedford with the Swedish team and then two more tunnel weeks in Roosendaal with Hayabusa. Both team camps have been more than promising. The Swedes have their eyes on the national record, and I am looking forward to Hayabusa's first indoor competition this weekend in France."

Roy Janssen expressed Hayabusa Defence's perspective from the other side: "We had an 8-day training camp with Joey in Roosendaal in the last two weeks. He is an important element in our team plan. His ideas of flying suits our team style very well."

Hayabusa experimented at this training camp trying "lots of different things in many configurations", as Roy Janssen said, "and it paid off". He said that his team still has many things to work on and to get more familiar with: "Some things are already going better than before, but with the more technically challenging jumps we are still behind." He thinks that Hayabusa 2009 will be back to the same level as at the World Meet 2008 in Maubeuge in a few months.

The first two indoor meets of Hayabusa's 2009 season will show where the team currently performs. Hayabusa competes this weekend at the the Aerokart Indoor Challenge in Paris, France, and then again at the beginning of April at the World Challenge 2009.

Hayabusa Defence has the team's first outdoor training scheduled between the two tunnel meets.

The 2-week camp begins on the second week of March and will take place in Ampuriabrava, Spain. Roy Janssen explained how the team looks at the first two competitions in 2009:

"At this moment, we don't expect too much for these meets, but that doesn't mean that we take it easy. As usual, we will go full throttle, and we'll see if it will be good enough. The main idea is to participate in more events and get more competition experience with this lineup."

The NSL News will follow up with the results of the indoor competition in Paris.