posted Apr 10th, 2016 - High scores and enlightenment were at the heart of the Australian Nationals, run and won before the end of March at Skydive Nagambie, Victoria, Australia. A judging dispute - where the viewing public were wrong, and the judges were indisputably correct - provided the only small measure of controversy.

At the head of the AAA Class queue, Rotor Out failed to disappoint, their 17.6 average accomplished without any seeming fuss and belying the hard work and professionalism in their engine room. Bellatrix, the hard-training 4-way Women team, showed the benefits of their efforts working under Steve Hamilton - and took home not only a 14.5 average, but a new national 4-way Women record of 23 points and the awe of their peers.

Australian Nationals 2016		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class	2,11,17	P,22,20	3,14,21	M,D,N,15	4,13,O	J,F,K,B,7	12,H,19	L,1,A,8	9,10,E	18,G,C,6	Total	Avg
1	Rotor Out	15	14	13	23	16	27	16	17	18	17	176	17.6
2	Bellatrix	13	12	12	19	12	23	12	14	15	13	145	14.5
3	L'Attitude	9	10	11	14	9	19	11	12	12	13	120	12.0
4	Impulse	11	9	11	14	9	16	11	14	12	9	116	11.6
5	Method	9	7	8	16	11	18	7	11	12	8	107	10.7
6	Edge of Calamity	8	7	10	13	6	17	9	11	8	9	98	9.8
7	Relo4ded	5	7	6	8	5	12	9	8	7	7	74	7.4

Written by Luke Oliver

Polished Sydney-siders L'Attitude maintained their class for a 12-point average, edging last year's AA/Intermediate Class winners Team Impulse by a scant four points to claim the bronze medals. Impulse showed immediate improvement by picking up veteran point Rob Thomson (XLR8), who brought maturity and presentation to the outfit.

In the latter placings, of particular interest was the brazen mis-engineered Random Formation K (Hook) by non-professional player coach Scott Clark. With the public screen in play, armchair judges were quick to call the error, and immediately called the judging panel out. However, an above-standard performance by that team in that round had resulted in an extraordinary performance of 12 points after two busts, forcing spectators to check their work and players to head to the bar to represent.

Australian Nationals 2016		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	AA Class	19,F,N	G,9,7	J,C,E,8	B,P,21	A,O,K,2	D,4,6	M,H,Q,L	B,8,H	2,L,21	A,K,19	Total	Avg
1	Eminence	19	17	19	19	16	12	22	18	13	-	155	17.2
2	Quatro	13	10	13	14	13	9	20	13	8	9	122	12.2
3	Taipan Defence	12	13	11	12	14	11	14	11	10	12	120	12.0

In the AA Class, Grant Christie and Gary Nemirovsky's team Eminence outperformed their published average to take a 17.3, with the perfumed hands of Mariska Foley and Natasha Dingle plus their two player/coaches within regulation. They creamed all comers in their class, the only disappointment being a camera angle that prevented them claiming a national class record. It is worth noting that Quatro (12.2), Taipan Defence (12.0), Megasaurus Rex (10.4) and Terminal Velociraptor Defence (9.1) could have all claimed AA Class gold if selecting a year to perform other than 2015 or 2016.

All players were drawn at regular intervals to the Australian Parachute Federation's massive live billboard and InTime judging display to see the results in real time - and no-one went away hurt or disappointed. Chief Judge Gail Bradley and her team performed without error or complaint for the duration. A spectacular event, with no in-air incidents complicating proceedings. Competitive Australian skydiving has never been fitter.