posted Jan 23rd, 2017 - Brian "BK" Krause calls himself a "Golden Knight 101", and this explains almost everything. He has retired from the U.S. Army and now works in the marketing department of Sun Path Products. However, any conversation with him makes you feel that his heart is actually still with the Golden Knights.

He has a very good reason to be proud of his career in the U.S. Army, especially of the last eight years. It would not be too far off to call BK the godfather of the impressive Golden Knights 8-way comeback that produced three consecutive world championship titles (2012 - 2014 - 2016) since he became the team captain in 2009.

"Team Captain" of the Golden Knights has always had a special meaning. It is not the same as it is for normal 4-way or 8-way teams. The team captain of the Golden Knights is more like a combination of the quarterback in American Football and the team's coach.

The GK team captain is also the manager and team psychologist at the same time, and he has an authority that goes beyond normal operation of civilian Formation Skydiving teams. It's a big job, and some of the earlier Golden Knights team captains have become legends in the sport. BK has already become one of them.

He was not in the active lineup any longer that won the 2nd and the 3rd consecutive 8-way gold medals for the U.S. delegation in Prostejov 2014 and Ottawa 2016. However, he laid the foundation for the current success and launched a new "Decade of Excellence" that the Golden Knights have in the history books for the time period between 1987 and 1997.

BK himself won "only" one 8-way gold medal in the active lineup at the FAI Mondial 2012 in Dubai, while his team captain successor, Sean Sweeney, added two more gold medals in 2014 and 2016. However, BK was still available as alternate and with advice whenever it was necessary.

FAI World Meet 2010			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	8-way		3,21,N	6,20,9	E,G,17,5	K,16,2	12,C,22	B,D,M,1	7,15,J	13,L,P,11	4,18,O	10,14,19	Total	Avg
1	France	FR	25	19	16	21	22	25	18	19	23	15	203	20.3
2	Golden Knights	US	23	17	18	20	22	27	20	17	21	11	196	19.6
3	Barkli	RU	20	19	16	17	22	20	18	19	20	14	185	18.5

His 8-way legend began when he convinced the U.S. Army's competition team headquarters to return the focus on 8-way competition and put his first lineup together at the end of the 2008 season. Five of his original team mates in 2009 (Sean Sweeney, Matt Davidson, Josh Coleman, Justin Blewitt, Larry Miller) are still in the current lineup and have been the solid foundation for the success in the past five years.

BK's efforts were not instantly rewarded with success. He wanted to win the gold medals in Menzelinsk 2010 and ended up in 2nd place behind a surprisingly strong French 8-way team.

The French experience in Russia 2010 might have created his favorite quote: "Whenever you think you are giving 100% - your competitor is giving 110%..." The well prepared U.S. Army team was one point ahead of France after Round 7 and lost the last three rounds by a total of seven points.

FAI Mondial 2012			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	8-way		N,21,B,5	14,C,13	22,M,20	17,H,16	J,E,12,4	7,19,15	G,K,8,2	O,L,F,P,A	10,11,18	9,Q,D,1	Total	Avg
1	Golden Knights	US	21	19	27	26	26	18	20	28	19	25	229	22.9
2	France	FR	22	19	22	23	27	20	20	28	19	25	225	22.5
3	Barkli	RU	19	18	22	22	21	15	15	24	16	20	192	19.2

However, the same event also showed the strength of the first Golden Knights team captain after the long 8-way hibernation of the U.S. Army and at the beginning of the next "Golden Knights Decade of Excellence".

BK took the defeat with honor and dignity and developed a deep friendship with some of his 8-way opponents from France. At the same time he started working on the plan for the next two years, while he also supported the creation of the new Golden Knights lineup in 4-way Women.

The next lineup with only one new member (Mike LaRoche) had to fight an even tougher 4-point battle with an even stronger French 8-way team in Dubai 2012. This time, the Golden Knights had a 4-point lead after Round 6 and had no intention to give it up.

FAI World Meet 2014			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	8-way		E,3,C,5	F,G,D,21	19,H,2	M,4,1	O,14,A,P	8,J,16	7,11,12	22,20,15	17,G,18	13,B,9	Total	Avg
1	Golden Knights	US	24	22	15	26	22	21	19	26	21	20	216	21.6
2	Barkli	RU	19	18	13	25	14	16	16	19	18	13	171	17.1
3	Venturi	FR	19	16	14	23	18	13	18	19	15	16	171	17.1

BK’s plan had eventually worked out with his first 8-way gold medal, and he forwarded the team captain’s position to Sean Sweeney. His plan for the new Golden Knights F4 team needed more time to fruition and was still rewarded with gold medals in 4-way Women, as well.

BK’s Formation Skydiving competition career did not begin with the Golden Knights 8-way team. He was in the U.S. Army during the first “Decade of Excellence” and witnessed the time when the Golden Knights switched the focus from 8-way to 4-way at the end of the 2000 season.

He was not on the first Golden Knights 4-way lineup (John Hoover, Chris Talbert, Kurt Isenbarger, Eric Heinsheimer, Sean Capegreco on camera) who won the USPA Nationals 2002 and competed for the U.S. delegation at the FAI World Meet in Gap 2003. His time came when the 2003 lineup stepped back, and John Hoover selected him for the new Golden Knights 4-way team.

FAI Mondial 2016			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	8-way Open		12,A,16	18,15,O	1,F,E,C	17,B,14	10,2,20	21,11,G	J,5,19	L,M,K,7	D,8,4	3,13,Q	Total	Avg
1	Golden Knights	US	31	25	26	22	20	22	19	26	24	24	239	23.9
2	France	FR	22	20	25	18	16	19	17	23	19	20	199	19.9
3	Tanay	RU	23	19	25	17	14	16	16	21	20	19	190	19.0

He continued with the Golden Knights in 4-way until he eventually initiated the next transition of the U.S. Army team back to the 8-way event in 2009. Three of his 4-way team mates transitioned together with him, including videographer Larry Miller who took a slot in the front of the camera in 8-way.

The successful transition to 8-way and the creation of the new all-female lineup produced a total of four sets of gold medals for the U.S. Army, and the recent extension of the Formation Skydiving competition team is probably also a result of BK’s early efforts.

BK is still very busy with 4-way and 8-way coaching, mostly at Paraclete, and he hardly misses a major indoor or outdoor meet. He also plays a major marketing role at Sun Path Products. He is officially retired from the U.S. Army, but real retirement still seems to be far away.