posted Nov 5th, 2016 - Mass Defiance is a team name that is surely not new to the Sun Path Products NSL News audience.

In fact, Mass Defiance has been a part of the 4-way competition world in the U.S.A. since 2004, when the original lineup (Ben Liston, Jim Rees, John Silva, Brian Stephens, Steve Feldman on camera) finished in 4th place in USPA's Advanced Class at the national championships.

It was 12 years later when the same lineup competed again at the USPA Nationals 2016.

Only videographer Steve "Scuba" Feldman did not make it due to an untimely illness, even though he has been filming Mass Defiance this year and was planning to compete in Eloy. Pat Walker filled the video slot for him.

The idea of competing again with the original lineup has been floating around for a while, as all five team members are still active in the competition world. However, there was a 5-year break since the last meet in December 2011.

USPA Nationals 2016		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open	20,D,E,22	M,9,5	12,8,7	H,L,16,15	F,A,N,J,17	G,6,3	K,B,Q,P,C	18,10,11	13,21,4	14,1,19	Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	22	37	21	24	39	21	47	16	18	20	265	26.5
2	SDC Rhythm XP	23	35	19	19	28	19	45	14	17	19	238	23.8
3	Golden Knights	20	24	18	24	33	19	38	14	15	18	223	22.3
4	AARsPeed	19	28	17	13	28	17	33	15	15	17	202	20.2
5	Mass Defiance	17	23	17	16	28	17	33	12	14	15	192	19.2

USPA Nationals 2007			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open		11,6,K	12,E,C,A	18,17,F	4,8,P	M,20,D,9	19,16,5	B,3,O,G	13,H,2	7,22,15		Total	Avg
1	Airspeed Odyssey		23	26	26	23	32	24	28	23	21	27	253	25.3
2	Fastrax		22	26	26	22	29	21	27	24	20	27	244	24.4
3	Golden Knights		20	25	24	23	29	21	25	21	19	23	230	23.0
4	Perris Fury		20	23	19	20	28	19	21	20	17	22	209	20.9
5	Arcteryx		20	22	22	21	24	19	22	19	16	23	208	20.8
6	Aerokart Seloger		18	21	16	18	26	19	24	18	17	22	199	19.9
7	Mass Defiance		18	20	18	18	25	16	22	19	15	22	193	19.3

Mass Defiance needed only one year to turn the 4th place in 2004 into the gold medal position at the USPA Nationals 2005. The team had to move up into the Open Class competition and did not get tired of trying to increase the performance and scoring level year by year.

Eventually, Mass Defiance became the unofficial amateur champion in the U.S.A. and one of the best amateur teams in the world after finishing with the 19.3 average at the USPA Nationals 2007.

It took several years until DNR moved the unofficial amateur level up to 20.7 at the USPA Nationals 2012 - with two original Mass Defiance members in the lineup: Ben Liston and Brian Stephens.

Another four years later, Mass Defiance was eventually back in action with the complete original lineup and challenged all standing records. The 19.2 at this year's national championships was only one point short of the highest Mass Defiance average and won the 5th place in the Open Class.

Jim Rees, who is also an international FAI Judge, had left Dallas 350 at the end of the 2015 season to be available for the Mass Defiance comeback. Then he skipped the judging work at this year's USPA Nationals to compete with his team.

Mass Defiance completed only 79 training jumps and five hours of indoor training in SkyVenture New Hampshire's 12-foot flying chamber to get back to the 19+ average level. The 2016 season might have been only the beginning of a longer-lasting comeback, and DNR's standing 20.7 average could be in jeopardy next year...