posted Apr 23rd, 2009 - The World Challenge 2009 was already the second indoor competition for Hayabusa Defence this year.

The NSL News posted the scores of the Aerokart Indoor Challenge 2009 at the end of February.

The story on 6 March 2009 provided feedback directly from the Belgian national 4-way team after the meet in Paris, France.

Hayabusa won the bronze medals at last year's World Meet in Maubeuge, France, and had a personnel change at the end of the 2008 season.

Waedong So is the new Point and replaced Luc Verstrepen, who was the Center Inside for Hayabusa in 2007 and 2008 and guided Hayabusa to the team's first medals at a World Championship of Formation Skydiving. He is now the official team manager and alternate for Hayabusa. Joey Jones is the coach.

It was the second personnel change for the Belgian national 4-way team. Sven Ibens was the Center Inside of the original Hayabusa lineup, which was formed in 2002 and entered the international top level already in 2003. Luc Verstrepen took his Center Inside slot at the end of the 2006 season when David Grauwels, Andy Grauwels and Roy Janssen decided to go full time. They joined the Belgian Army where Luc Verstrepen was already servicing.

The World Challenge 2009 was already the third meet with Waedong So in the Point slot. He competed with Hayabusa Defence at the CISM competition at the end of the 2008 season, then at the two indoor meets of the 2009 season.

The latest personnel change is supposed to be the last one until the World Meet in 2012 where Hayabusa Defence plans to win the 4-way gold medals at the World Championship of Formation Skydiving. The team members admit that they wouldn't mind getting to the top spot already next year in Russia. The three original members have pursued the ultimate goal already long enough to earn the gold medals, and the new lineup surely has the potential to get there earlier.

However, team members and coach are careful with their expectations. They are all experienced enough to know what it takes to beat an experienced lineup like Airspeed, the reigning 4-way world champions.

The Hayabusa outdoor scores between 2003 and 2008 show clearly that the Belgian team knows only one way: upward. The progression is impressive, year by year, and there seems to be no reason why this would not continue with the new lineup. Waedong So has already shown how well he fits into the Hayabusa lineup with new slots for a few other members.

David Grauwels, Andy Grauwels and Roy Janssen have already butted heads with the current Airspeed lineup four times since the beginning of the 2007 season. Waedong So got his first taste of the defending world champions' competition experience at the World Challenge 2009.

He can be very pleased, as Hayabusa Defence finished much closer to Airspeed this year (288 - 275), compared to the World Challenge 2008 (283 - 254) with Luc Verstrepen. The chart of the Airspeed - Hayabusa race since 2007 shows that the Belgian team got even much closer to the top spot at the World Meet 2008. Only four points separated Hayabusa and Airspeed in Maubeuge.

The challenger will have a great chance to threaten Airspeed if the progression between the World Challenge 2009 and the next outdoor showdown between the same lineups mirrors the situation in 2008. Hayabusa Defence 2009 seems to be on the right track. The question is where and when both teams will meet each other again next time. Airspeed is looking for the tough challenges, while Hayabusa Defence has not competed as often as the reigning world champions.