posted May 9th, 2009 - UK team Satori caught the NSL News attenton quite a few times ever since the team was formed at the end of the 2007 season, with the original members Aaron Faith (Tail), Julia Foxwell (Center Outside), Liz Matthews (Center Inside) and Katie Woods (Point).

The first article introduced the new team on 9 January 2008 (Archives > 2008 > News > Search for "Satori"). The Satori members announced their attendance at the FSL Shamrock Showdown 2008 when they visited DeLand for a training camp in January and met with the NSL News for a little chat.

The first competition of the new lineup in March at the traditional season opener of the Florida Skydiving League was a great start. Satori posted an 18.9 average after eight rounds, which still stands for the highest Satori outdoor result in the team's short history.

Numbers can sometimes be deceiving without additional information, as the chart of Satori's scoring progression in 2008 shows. Only the 17.6 average at the UK Nationals 2008 was a 10-round competition. The meets in May (UK Grand Prix) and September (ESL Championship) had only four rounds, the UK Grand Prix meet in June was a 6-round competition. The Shamrock Showdown was over after the fast rounds and without two missing slower rounds.

The Satori progression looks very different by only comparing the results at the World Challenge 2008 (Archives > 2008 > Leagues > Special Events) and the World Challenge 2009. Satori competed at both 10-round events and increased the average from 22.9 in 2008 to 24.1 this year.

Quite a few things have happened in Satori's team environment in the meantime.

The NSL News posted a Satori update on 2 May 2008 after the team had already decided to continue for two more years and aim at the World Meet 2010 in Russia. This goal did not require to win the UK Nationals 2008. However, the NSL News still followed the race between Bodyflight Storm and Satori for the national title last year. The story on 23 April 2008 had provided a preview of the 2008 season in the United Kingdom and the situation between these two teams.

The last showdown between Bodyflight Storm and Satori was the UK Nationals 2008. Storm and Fusion were already back from competing for the United Kingdom at the World Meet 2008 in Maubeuge when the national championship came up. Bodyflight Storm won the national gold medals 12 points ahead of Satori, with Fusion in 3rd place and another 34 points behind Satori.

The NSL News story on 24 August 2008 reported and commented the results of the UK Nationals 2008.

The next Satori news came with the NSL News story on 13 November 2008. Satori had to change plans. Center Inside Liz Matthews was pregnant, and the other three original members had to find a replacement, as they wanted to coninue with the pursuit of the Satori goals.

The NSL News reported that Satori was fortunate to find former XL member Lee Love who was ready to step in and fill the slot for the 2009 season. The same story provided information of Lee Love's 4-way career and of the new Satori plans.

It has been quiet as of Satori updates for the NSL News ever since the great news of the new team member for the 2009 season. This changed when the NSL News traveled to Bodyflight Bedford to cover once again the World Challenge 2009, live from the competition site.

The NSL News was updated by the team members shortly after arrival in Bedford. The NSL News story on 3 April 2008 reported briefly that things had changed once again for the British team:

"Satori with Lee Love began with the training until the new member had to step back due to his job situation. The three remaining Satoris, Aaron Faith, Julia Foxwell and Katie Woods, did not give up despite the ongoing setbacks. The impressive motivation and persistance of this 3-way has been contagious, and another former XL member finally agreed to fill the Center Inside slot in 2009 and replace Lee Love. John McIver is the new Satori member."

The former XL member replacing the other former XL member did not compete for Satori in Bedford though. He had already committed to the real XL reunion of the original 2003 lineup at this year's World Challenge. Brian Johnson filled in for John McIver and helped Satori in Bedford this year.

Brian Johnson had competed with the international XL lineup in 2007 and 2008, where these other XL lineups seriously challenged Airspeed. Satori could not have found a better substitute who was also able to just step in and take the Center Inside position. The 24.1 average after this year's 10-round competition speaks its own language.

John McIver will now come back to fill the slot for the 2009 season or until Liz Matthews might be available again. She visited Bodyflight Bedford during the World Challenge 2009 to see how her team was doing. She did not have any serious comeback plans at that time though.

Satori is in a good position at the beginning of the 2009 season. There is no other British team in sight at the moment that could move up quickly to the performance and scoring level that Satori has already shown.

XL is not a British team any longer. Bodyflight Storm has a new lineup, as the NSL News reported on 12 April 2009.

Satori has a very good chance to make the first and most important step towards the 2010 goal this year successfully: winning the UK Nationals 2009. The UK championship is scheduled for August, and Satori has three longer training camps on the agenda before the main event this year.

The NSL News mentioned in the story on 1 May 2009 that the members of three teams in the upper third of the World Challenge 2009 field, which challenged each other throughout the whole competition (Satori, Kaktus Hunter, Aerokart Pamiers), could meet again in Russia next year. Satori seems to be on the right track so far.