posted Jun 5th, 2009 - The Georgia Skydiving League is back in the NSL Network and has resumed the traditional 4-way activities in the Peach State.

The Georgia Skydiving League was actually one of the three leagues that formed the National Skydiving League in 1998, together with Florida and Texas.

It is one of the oldest leagues and was also one of the strongest in the early years. The Virginia Parachute Council is actually the oldest league in the country but joined the NSL Network later on.

None of the GSL competitors on the May 30 meet weekend goes back that far. However, one of GSL team names appeared on the NSL leaderboard for the first time already in 2001, 5-Minute Call.

The 2001 lineup competed in the A Class, as well, attended five meets in Georgia (2.3 - 6.3 - 5.0 - 3.8 - 5.8) and finished tied in 84th place with a 4.8 season average in the NSL A Class rankings of 2001. 5-Minute Call continued in 2002 and then appeared one more time on the NSL leaderboard, once again in the A Class and with an 8.6 average after the ten rounds of the NSL Playoffs 2004.

The 4-way activities in Georgia decreased in the following years, and there were no more GSL meets scheduled in 2007 and 2008 within the NSL Network.

Things have changed with the beginning of the 2009 season. Steve Chalfant is heading a group of dedicated 4-way fans who would like to bring back the Georgia Skydiving League to where it used to be in the late 90s and early in the new millenium. He is supported by Nicole Ippolito and Anthony Stone, who is the GSL Meet Director and Chief Judge.

The new Georgia Skydiving League has only one host in 2009, Skydive The Farm, and launched the season with a small A Class meet and three teams. However, the new management is motivated to grow the league and include other skydiving centers in the future, as well, such as the Atlanta Skydiving Center and Skydive Monroe, maybe already next year.

Nicole Ippolito is excited to see the first activities already happening: "The GSL will only get bigger from here. I'm really excited to see what our future seasons will be like."

The new 5-Minute Call lineup represented the connection between the strong GSL history and the new generation of GSL competitors and management. Steve Chalfant, Ian Drennan, Jerry Shell and Anthony Stone posted only a 0.8 average after the four meet rounds. However, the meaning and the purpose of the first GSL 2009 meet was more important than anything else.

Steve Chalfant and Anthony Stone are the driving forces behind the new GSL activities, and the lineup also included Ian Drennan, who is one of the new PD Factory Team's canopy pilots. Steve Chalfant said that he didn't like the RW suits very much: "He was still a great sport and as always a fierce competitor."

Nicole Ippolito was in the winning A Class lineup of the Farm Animals. Former Mr. Pink member Mike Gruwell was guiding this team through the first competition and had to work hard to fend off the contending Push lineup. Mike Gruwell is also running his Chuting Star rigging services at a loft on The Farm.

The charge of the Push lineup was headed by Jason Cooke, an Australian 4-way and 8-way veteran and international competitor who is currently marketing the Cookie Composites products in the USA.

The Farm Animals finished one single point ahead of Push and defended the home turf successfully. The next meet is scheduled for July 11, once again at Skydive The Farm.