posted Oct 14th, 2013 - The Sun Path Products NSL News has not completed the coverage of the USPA Nationals 2013 yet. One of the many missing pieces is USPA's Advanced Class competition.

This category actually applies exactly the same FAI/IPC rules and dive pool for the Open Class and still has its separate leaderboard.

Teams can choose which category they want to sign up for, except for the reigning Advanced Class champions. The USPA Competition Manual defines the specifics:

"No team in the Advanced or Intermediate 4-Way Formation Skydiving classes may be composed of more than one quarter of members who have won a gold medal in that class at the five previous U.S. National Skydiving Championships or won a medal in a higher class at the five previous U.S. National Skydiving Championships or in the same event at an FAI First Category Event."

USPA Nationals 2013		Rd. 1	Rd. 2	Rd. 3	Rd. 4	Rd. 5	Rd. 6	Rd. 7	Rd. 8	Rd. 9	Rd. 10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA/Advanced Class	G,9,C,P	F,5,15	1,E,8	4,M,7	H,N,B,O,3	14,20,L	Q,K,12,17	11,16,19	10,A,18	2,22,D	Total	Avg
1	ZeBone	21	17	14	16	19	12	15	14	10	13	151	15.1
2	Dallas En Fuego	21	16	14	13	19	12	12	12	12	11	142	14.2
3	Air Force Eufouria	17	15	14	16	22	13	10	12	8	11	138	13.8
4	Dallas Khaos Black	21	12	14	15	16	12	14	10	10	12	136	13.6
5	Dallas 350	21	14	14	17	18	12	14	7	11	7	135	13.5

This year's winner ZeBone used the popular and successful 2-on-2 player coaching concept to get to the top of the Advanced Class leaderboard. Sabrina Graham (Tail) and Kurt Disser (Point) decided at the beginning of the 2012 season to train and compete with Andy Honigbaum and Jan Lane, both very experienced 4way and 8way competitors.

In fact, Andy Honigbaum is an 8way world champion of 2004 with Arizona Airspeed. Jan Lane had almost won the Advanced Class competition with the Angry Beez a year ealier at the USPA Nationals 2002 after a jump-off and tie-breaking battle with Nemesis. Andy Honigbaum continued with Airspeed Velocity in 2005 and 2006 before moving to North Carolina and joining the Paraclete XP lineup.

Jan Lane was also coaching Carolina Turbo XP in the team's earlier years. Andy Honigbaum and Jan Lane were both eligible for the Advanced Class competition under the current USPA rules, and ZeBone was on the way to USPA gold medals at the beginning of the 2012 season.

Sabrina Graham and Kurt Disser themselves were not new to 4way competition either. They started their own 4way project many years ago and have been familiar with the efficient player coaching concept.

They had their busiest 4way competition season in 2005 when they competed at the Paraclete XP Outdoor Championship/Shamrock Showdown with player coach Joey Jones and 4way competitor Pamela Stevens. Rob Harrick was filming the team. Team Jamba posted a 9.4 average in the AA Class and followed up a few months later with a 9.5 average at the Mideast Skydiving League.

Sabrina Graham and Kurt Disser completed the 2005 season with a 10.1 average in the AA/Intermediate Class competition at the USPA Nationals. Izeet Gonna Blow had Steve Shorten and Tom Bohn in the lineup for the USPA Nationals and placed 11th of 42 teams. Then came a long break, and the couple from California picked it back up in the AAA/Advanced Class of 2012.

USPA Nationals 2013		Rd. 1	Rd. 2	Rd. 3	Rd. 4	Rd. 5	Rd. 6	Rd. 7	Rd. 8	Rd. 9	Rd. 10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA/Open Class	G,9,C,P	F,5,15	1,E,8	4,M,7	H,N,B,O,3	14,20,L	Q,K,12,17	11,16,19	10,A,18	2,22,D	Total	Avg
8	Misfits	23	16	14	16	21	12	15	13	11	13	154	15.4
(1)	ZeBone	21	17	14	16	19	12	15	14	10	13	151	15.1
9	Dubai Asaar Black	22	16	10	16	15	13	15	15	14	13	149	14.9
10	Dubai Asaar Ladies	20	13	14	14	19	12	15	15	10	13	145	14.5
11	Spaceland Lite	20	13	12	16	18	13	13	12	12	13	142	14.2
12	Cerulean Heat	19	16	12	14	17	12	15	11	12	13	141	14.1

ZeBone tested the team's competitive skills at the September meet of the Carolina Skydiving League 2012 (14.7) and followed up with a 13.9 average in the Advanced Class at the USPA Nationals. Only two Air Force lineups scored higher (15.1) and ZeBone won the USPA bronze medals.

This year's winning 15.1 average would have placed ZeBone 9th in the AAA/Open Class competition at the USPA Nationals 2013. On the other side, Advanced Class winner of 2011, Spaceland Lite, finished with 14.2 this year, which would have been good enough to tie Dallas En Fuego in 2nd place. Spaceland Lite had posted a 13.9 average in the team's first year in the Open Class, which would have tied ZeBone in the Advanced Class bronze medal position of 2012.

Sabrina Graham and Kurt Disser would have to move up into the AAA/Open Class next year where Andy Honigbaum and Jan Lane have been before. Hopefully they will not go back into hibernation after their biggest success so far. It is still a loss missing the reigning champion trying to defend the title in this category...