posted Dec 22nd, 2013 - Cool Runnings was first only a name for a funny movie that brought back the true story of a bobsled team from Jamaica competing at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada.

The same team name has also become well known and popular in the Formation Skydiving community over the years. The Sun Path Products NSL News has followed the Cool Runnings 4way team from The Netherlands ever since it was formed with its first lineup in 2006.

The 4way story has become even more similar to the bobsled story since Cool Runnings never thought of competing at a World Championship of Formation Skydiving. In fact, Cool Runnings was almost like the role model for a recreational 4way team that was out to have fun and compete at the same time.

Paraclete XP Outdoor 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 Class

6,17,15

B,11,16

18,N,22

9,4,F

J,E,C,3

K,O,12,M

5,D,8

Q,13,14

G,7,H,10

1,20,21

Total

Avg

15

Cool Runnings (NL)

4

11

9

13

13

9

7

8

10

9

93

9.3

The World Championship of Formation Skydiving is somehow the equivalent of the Olympics for competitive teams. It is at least the most relevant competition, even though it takes place every other year and not every four years like the Olympics.

It is now a fact that Cool Runnings is going down the same road as the Jamaican bobsled team did in 1988. Both teams even have some major things in common. It was a 4way bobsled team that competed in Calgary, even though there was no team videographer. Both teams are also moving pretty fast. Bobsleds can accelerate up to over 100 mph.

However, one of the major differences between the two teams is the fact that there is not much snow and ice in Jamaica, while there is a lot of Formation Skydiving competition in the Netherlands. The 4way bobsled team did not have any competition to qualify for the Olympics, which was completely different for the 4way skydiving team.

Cool Runnings 2013	Cool Runnings 2012

Cool Runnings did not only have no plans ever to compete at a World Championship of Formation Skydiving. The Dutch team just moved up from the AA to the AAA Class competition in 2013. The Paraclete XP Outdoor Championship 2013 was the first AAA Class competition for Cool Runnings, and coach Solly Williams had to push hard to make the team sign up for the meet.

The 10.0 average was the big goal for the 2013 season, as the first Cool Runnings update this year reported on 19 April 2013. Eventually, Cool Runnings scored below 10.0 only once at the team's first meet and recorded an 11.3 average as the highest result of the first AAA Class year at the national championships.

The Sun Path Products NSL News covered the Dutch Nationals 2013 and the winning team NRG comprehensively on 9 October 2013, including the jump-off for the 4way title between NRG and Whooops.

Dutch Nationals 2013		Rd. 1	Rd. 2	Rd. 3	Rd. 4	Rd. 5	Rd. 6	Rd. 7	Rd. 8	Rd. 9	Rd. 10	Rd. 11	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class	18,L,N,Q	19,5,F	M,20,21	K,J,10,22	E,9,7	1,O,14	B,4,17	P,11,C,2	8,H,16	3,G,6	12,13,15	Total	Avg
1	NRG	16	13	16	15	20	14	16	15	15	14	10	164	14.9
2	Whooops	16	14	15	15	20	14	16	16	14	14	10	164	14.9
3	Cool Runnings	12	12	13	11	15	9	10	12	9	10	-	113	11.3

The same article mentioned that NRG had no plans that reached beyond the 2013 season. A more recent update from The Netherlands on 27 November 2013 confirmed that the NRG members focused primarily on the M8trix plans in 8way for next year.

Whooops, the Dutch national team of the past years, was in a similar situation as NRG and had no plans for the 2014 season. That's when Cool Runnings suddenly appeared in the World Meet scenario.

The Dutch selection system provides the national champion team with the choice to attend the World Meet or not. The two top teams of 2013 passed on the opportunity, and Cool Running was next in order. NRG member Leander van Schriek explained the Cool Runnings situation at that point in time: "In the spirit of their team name they could not say no..."