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The first international appearance of the two new 4way teams, Dubai Red and Dubai Gold, with player coaches Eliana Rodriguez and Craig Girard, took place in the Advanced Class competition of the USPA Nationals 2011. The project continued in 2012, and the national 4way team for the United Arab Emirates, Dubai Asaar Red, finished with a 15.8 average at the Mondial Dubai 2012, without a player coach in the lineup. Asaar Red had attended five indoor and outdoor meets before the Mondial 2012.
In the meantime, Eliana Rodriguez and Craig Girard, both also former 8way world champions with Arizona Airspeed and Golden Knights, had initiated an 8way lineup for Skydive Dubai, which consisted of the members of both 4way teams and the two player coaches whenever they were needed. Dubai Asaar's 8way lineup eventually made it to the finals at the Mondial 2012 with an 11.1 average in the team's first year. Last week, Dubai Asaar finished with a 15.1 average as the winner of the 4th Dubai International Parachuting Championship 2013.
4way Open | 4-way Women | 4-way VFS | 8-way Open |
4th DIPC 2013 | 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 Class | 11,H,12 | F,15,10 | A,N,E,Q,8 | K,4,L,6 | M,C,20,5 | 13,O,16 | 3,17,18 | 21,7,1 | G,22,14 | P,19,9 | Total | Avg |
1 | Dubai Asaar (AE) | 15 | 17 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 14 | 151 | 15.1 |
2 | Monaco Vitalsea (MC) | 15 | 16 | 12 | 17 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 148 | 14.8 |
3 | Fly Tanay (RU) | 15 | 15 | 13 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 143 | 14.3 |
4 | Sudwest (DE) | 9 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 7 | 8 | 107 | 10.7 |
5 | Colombia (CO) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0.6 |
Award Ceremony | Dubai Asaar 8 |
Dubai Asaar 8 had posted 11.5 averages at the World Cup 2013 and again at the USPA Nationals 2013. However, Craig Girard said that his 8way lineup was ready to move up to the next scoring and performance level, with or without him. This step happened at the right time, and his driving force as an active member was surely a main factor.
The timing could not have been much better, as the first big success for the 8way team and the Formation Skydiving competition project happened to take place on home turf at Skydive Dubai.
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 (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 | Barkli (RU) | 19 | 18 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 15 | 15 | 24 | 16 | 20 | 192 | 19.2 |
4 | EADS (DE) | 14 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 18 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 13 | 16 | 148 | 14.8 |
5 | VIVA (CH) | 13 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 17 | 13 | 13 | 136 | 13.6 |
6 | Dubai Asaar (AE) | 11 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 111 | 11.1 |
Craig Girard was surely pushing the pace and the performance level as nobody else could have done it. However, the seven original Emirates still had to keep up with the pace and deliver individually. By the way, Craig Girard would now also be eligible to compete for the United Arab Emirates after sitting out at the last world meet.
Dubai Asaar's 8way team was actually fortunate that they did not need another alternate. Team member Khalid Abduljalil, who is also in the national 4way lineup, broke his arm in a ground accident shortly after the competition was over. The new NSL Reality TV video clip of the award ceremony is showing the team without him, as he was still in the hospital to recover from a surgery. However, the team included him in their own way after the ceremony...