posted Nov 8th, 2013 - Registration for the ISR Grand Prix 2013 is closed, and Marketing Manager Paul Elsten proudly announced that this year's event has once again record participation. 52 teams will compete in Roosendaal at the end of the month.

The good news if followed by a tragic impact on the event. Shocking news came from Belgium on October 19th when a jump plane crashed killing all 11 people on board. Three members of the Belgian 4way team Newton's Maniacs (Tail Francois Le Moiine, Center Outside Tanguy Huysmans, Center Inside Pat Morton) lost their lives in the accident. The team was and still is registered for the ISR Grand Prix 2013.

Point Pierre Peet and team videographer Ritchie Houtmeyers were not in the plane crash, and they agreed with very special plans of Thunder members to use the tunnel competition as a memorial for the missing Newton's Maniacs members.

Registered Teams AAA Class: Thunder (NL/BE), NRG (NL), Airfix International (IT/DE), 4X (INT), Les Stunts (BE), Shinobiz V3 (FR), Cool Runnings (NL), WAFA (NL), Whooops (NL), Creeps (NL), Les Affranchis (FR), Energy Cumiana (IT), GHIBLI (IT) AA Class: Potes en Ciel (BE), Turrrbooow (NL), MACH4 (NL), Murphy Mania (NL), Blue Rebels (GR), Phoenix (FR), Touch Down (IT), Klungels (BE), KateAndHerHornyMates (UK), Equal Pay For Women (UK) A Class: Gravity Abuse (NL), Olraait (BE), Shinobi (NL), Dimension (NL), The Wuzzles (NL), Fast Forward (BE), Bad Habits (NL), Cosmic Noise (BE), Pioschop Reloaded (NL), Escort Fly (IT), Newton's Maniacs (BE), Jetmax (BE), Paradocks (NL), Friendisky (BE), Team Rudi (BE), Crash Test Dummies (NL), 2Bdefin'd (IT) (NL) Rookie Class: Lightning (NL), Winging It (NL), Super Heroes in Training (NL), Cerfo Team (BE), Inside-Out (NL), Phoenix (FR), Team Unknown (BE), Hoppaaaa (BE), Fly4Fun (NL), Erramima (NL), Hakuna Matata (NL)

Thunder had a very close relationship with Newton's Maniacs, as Sven Ibens explained for the Sun Path Products NSL News:

"Our relationship with Newton's Maniacs originated a while ago when Tanguy and Ritchie started participating in our tunnel camps. We did quite some 1-on-1 coaching with them, and after a while they got interested in forming a team. Eventually, they found three other enthusiastic, motivated and talented skydivers who had the same dream - Newton's Maniacs was born."

Thunder members have been coaching Newton's Maniacs from that moment on. The team attended the first competition this year in the Rookie Class with great success. Sven Ibens said that the gold medals at the Belgian Nationals and the silver medals at the ESL Championship 2013 were the team's highlights of the year and their career. Now they were eager to compete at the ISR Grand Prix this month and were looking forward to the event.

ESL Championship 2013		Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Round 6	Round 7	Round 8	Total	Avg
Rank	Rookie	J,F,E	D,H,M	C,Q,K	B,G,N	O,L,P	A,K,M	E,H,J	A,F,D	Total	Avg
1	Royal Navy Sea Fury (UK)	15	12	6	11	9	16	13	13	95	11.9
2	Newtons Maniacs (BE)	14	14	7	9	10	8	8	10	80	10.0
3	Jetmax (BE)	18	8	7	8	7	9	6	11	74	9.3
4	Hoppaaaa (BE)	10	7	4	5	4	12	8	8	58	7.3
5	Lightning (NL)	8	7	5	3	7	5	2	6	43	5.4
6	Inside-Out (NL)	5	8	3	4	5	3	1	6	35	4.4
7	Signets (UK)	5	4	2	4	5	6	4	2	32	4.0

Sven Ibens said that Newton's Maniacs asked Thunder for advice and then decided to step up into the A Class competition. Then the disaster struck and stopped all plans.

Eventually, Thunder and the two remaining Newtons's Maniacs members thought about special ways how to keep memories alive of the very popular team and the members. They decided to keep Newton's Maniacs registered and fill the open slots with Thunder. Pierre Peet and Ritchie Houtmeyers will still compete in the A Class for the first time and fly in memory of the missing three team mates.

They discussed the plan with Roosendaal's event management who were glad to support it. Sven Ibens said that a few official meet rules had to be twisted to make it work. Newton's Maniacs will not be eligible for medals and prizes in the A Class. However, the purpose of the team's participation is obviously a different one.

Sven Ibens said that Newton's Maniacs was a very popular team, even though it was only their first year in 4way competition: "They were extremely loved by all other teams in Belgium and in The Netherlands. Always in a good mood, ready for a joke and friendly with everyone. We are sure that their spirits and attitude were and still are an example and motivation to others. They will not be forgotten..."

Indoor Skydive Roosendaal has officially registered 52 different teams, and the 53rd team is Newton's Maniacs, with the two original members, the Thunder ringers and the three spiritual flyers somewhere over the net...

The ISR GRand Prix 2013 is scheduled for November 23rd, and the Sun Path Products NSL News will follow up with scores and meet information.