posted Feb 9th, 2015 - The registration process for the World Challenge 2015 is in full swing by now. The last update on 4 February 2015 was showing 32 teams, and the number of registered teams has gone up to 48 within five days.

The British ACM lineup (Hari Ganapathy, Debbie Lamsley, James Woods, Gareth Hicks) in the AAA Class is an interesting combination of competitors from different teams. Hari Ganapathy trained and competed with Raykipo last year. Debbie Lamsley was one of the early Vision 99 members and then competed with Jazz Republic. Katie Woods' younger brother James was a Hyrrokkin member in 2013 and with Lowabusa in 2014. Garreth Hicks recently competed with SAVoA at the Wind Games 2015.

The name of AAA Class team Red Cat sounds very familiar, and the lineup includes two original Black Cat members, Vasily Korotkov and Evgeny Stashchenko. Valentin Ilin had joined the two Black Cat members at the 5th Dubai International Parachuting Championship. Olga Bykova, Infra Red Band member at the FAI World Championship of Formation Skydiving 2014, completes the Red Cat lineup. Videographer Vadim Niyazov is the alternate in Bedford.

Registered AAA Open: NMP-PCH Hayabusa (BE), SDC Rhythm XP (US), Gavroche (FR), SportLoto (RU), Thunder ISR (BE), Voodoo (ZA), Vision 99 (UK), Bad Boyz (CZ), Anti Matter (UK), Artemis Saumur RealFly (FR), Red Cat (RU), Weembi Lille (FR), Jazz Republic (ZA), Lupus (EE), Funnel Vision (UK), Neugomon (RU), Co-Motion (INT), Not Yet Decided (DK), ACM (UK), Bodyflight Aero (UK), Red Cat (RU), Left Shark Squad (UK)

Registered AAA Women: Golden Knights (US), HF Chicks (CZ), CZ Ladies (CZ), Les Stunts (BE)

Registered AA Class: Fly Wild (UK), Blue Rebels (GR), No Mercy (PL), Fr4ment (UK), AirRush (DK), ChatterChicks (UK), Equinox (LT), Helix (UK), Ballista (IE)

Registered A Class: Team Rudi (BE), VossVind Girls (NO), Flyspot Chicks (PL), Satori Aqua (UK), Hybris (DK), Perpetual Chaos (UK), Brain Storming (IT), Funzies (DK), Gravitationally Ambiguous (UK)

Registered Rookie Class: Jetmax (BE), Blackhawk (UK), VossVind Girls (NO), Skyfall (IE)

It is always interesting to follow the progression of the teams through the four categories, and several upgrades are once again taking place this year. Some of the British 4-way teams celebrate their last competition in their previous category at the World Challenge before moving up into the next one for the upcoming outdoor season. The ChatterChicks were one recent example for this strategy.

The World Challenge is the first event in the new category for other teams. UK team Funnel Vision competed in the A Class in 2013 and in AA last year. The World Challenge is the team's first AAA Class meet. Bodyflight Aero will join Funnel Vision for the first AAA Class adventure in Bedford after a 2014 season with eight meets in the AA Class and bronze medals at the UK Nationals 2014.

The Sun Path Products NSL News reported earlier that the Lithuanian team Equinox finished off the A Class time at the Polish Indoor Open 2014. Equinox has now officially signed up for the AA Class competition at the World Challenge.

AirRush from Denmark and Bodyflight Fly Wild from Northern Ireland are making the same move into the AA Class as Equinox. Fly Wild won A Class silver medals at the UK Nationals last year and then gold at the Bodyflight Revenge 2014.

One AA Class team moved the other direction. Poland's national championships had only the AAA Class for the four participating teams, and No Mercy plans to find a better fitting category in the AA Class of the World Challenge.

Team Rudi from Belgium might be one of the top contenders in the A Class. Rudi competed in the Rookie Class at the ISR Grand Prix 2012 (15.4) and then in the A Class (18.9) a year later. The 2014 event brought a 12.8 average in the AA Class, and Rudi goes back to the A Class competition in Bedford. The Flyspot Chicks from Poland might give Team Rudi a good competition, together with Kjetil Nordin's Funzies from Denmark.