posted Mar 22nd, 2009 - Sunday morning was very quiet and relaxing for the teams at the FSL Shamrock Showdown 2009. Only three teams were actually jumping on a beautiful morning with perfect weather conditions. It was still an exciting morning for the resting AAA Class teams, as the Skins Games prizes for the last two rounds depended on the performance of MD Fooza in the last three rounds.

Spaceland Force XP's 23-pointer in Round 8 was the highest score after handicap (24.13) on Saturday. MD Fooza did not challenge this score, and France Maubeuge came the closest (23.99) after handicap. More cash money, this time $300 sponsored by the DeLand Center for Aesthetic Dentistry, was collected by the Space Force.

MD Fooza had the next opportunity in Round 9, where NRG from the Netherlands had already received a score of 22.97 after handicap with the Dutch team's 14-pointer. Nothing changed, Voluntas was second after handicap (22.48) and the $300, sponsored by United Parachute Technologies (UPT - Micron) finally went to the Netherlands.

The Skins Game race for the $500 cash prize for the winner of the last round was the most exciting and closest one. Airtec, maker of the Cypres 2, and Indoorskydive.com, the Dutch windtunnel in Rosendaal, provided the cash prize for this round, a total of $500.

Erwin van den Braak manages the windtunnel in the Netherlands. He is a member of the Dutch national 4-way team, Dynamic Fource. He said that he would rather compete at the Shamrock Showdown. It did not work out this year, and the prize money was an indirect way for him to participate.

France Maubeuge, probably with the team's best round of the meet, had a score of 26.87 after handicap. However, Teiwaz had the team's best jump of the meet in the same round and finished with 26.97 after handicap. It was still not enough, as the Russian team Cross Road finished even higher (27.13) after an excellent 19-pointer.

MD Fooza still had the chance to beat this score on Sunday morning and collect the $500 cash. The team's potential would easily allow a score that would win after handicap, as Fooza had already lost a total of 19 points due to infringements. Unfortunately, Fooza funneled the exit and lost too much time. It turned out to be the first round without any point deductions, and Fooza still came to a score of 25.06 after handicap. Two more points would have won the $500...

It is what it is, and the Russian team Cross Road cashed in after all scores were posted on CamScore Sunday morning. The winner of the Rookie Class, a new lineup from Skydive City, Team Disaster, received $100 cash from the NSL and a gift certificate from Bev Suits.

Fast Arrows from the Czech Republic, winner of the AA Class, received $100 cash from the Roseborough Travel Agency in DeLand and a team set of NSL Gloves. Last not least, Airspeed Odyssey was rewarded as the overall champion in the AAA Class competition.

The reigning 4-way world champions won $1,000 cash in DeLand. Bud Light, Skydive DeLand and Skydive Spaceland sponsored the Grand Prize of the Shamrock Showdown 2009. The NSL News will follow up with more details of the meet later.