posted Oct 18th, 2017 - The value of the 14.0 winning average that Vega XP posted at the USPA Nationals 2017 becomes more obvious after taking a closer look at the results in this category since it was introduced at USPA Nationals. Only two Intermediate Class teams have ever posted higher 10-round averages, Formula 4 (14.1) in 2002 and the Impulse team of the Air Force Academy (14.6) in 2010.

DeLand Tunnel Rage finished the 6-round competition with a 15.3 average in 2000. However, USPA applied a different dive pool at that time, which was identical with the current A Class of the National Skydiving League. The easier sequences allowed higher meet averages, and the highly talented Tunnel Rage lineup left the next team in the dust (15.3 - 12.8) after the six rounds in Perris.

The Tunnel Rage lineup also eventually generated two world champions: Eliana Rodriguez and Thomas Hughes. Eliana Rodriguez first won FAI gold medals in 4-way Women in 2001, then joined Arizona Airspeed where she added gold in 4-way Open and 8-way Open. Thomas Hughes won his 4-way gold medal with Airspeed in Dubai 2012.

Airspeed's 2012 lineup is still the team with the highest outdoor average in the history of the sport.

Winning averages of the USPA Intermediate Class champions since 1997

Formula 4 from California still had the shorter meet and the easier dive pool for the 14.0 average at the USPA Nationals 2001. The lineup of the USPA Intermediate Class champion included another future top competitor.

Chris Farina challenged Arizona Airspeed with Perris Fury, continued the charge with SDC Rhythm XP and eventually joined the Airspeed lineup of 2013 - 2015.

The National Skydiving League introduced the three new categories (AA - A - Rookie) for the 2002 season, together with the meet and draw synchronization. USPA then agreed to apply the AA Class dive pool and sequences for the Intermediate Class competition for the first time at the national championships in 2002.

Juggernaut from Texas was the first USPA Intermediate Class champion after ten rounds with the new dive pool and rules. The 14.1 average at Skydive Chicago in 2002 was the first of two times when a team scored higher than Vega XP last month in Perris.

The Juggernaut lineup included James "Bu" Klinge, who is unofficially one of the world's best 4-way amateur competitors. He competed this year with Mass Defiance at the FAI Outdoor World Cup before posting a 20.9 average at the USPA Nationals.

The highest 10-round average in the history of the current AA/Intermediate Class was posted by the Impulse lineup of the Air Force Academy in 2010. It was the only meet that the team attended in this category, and they created a 22-point distance (14.6 - 12.4) to the team in 2nd place.

The average of the winning average in the Intermediate Class at USPA Nationals since 2002 has been 13.0 and Vega XP added a whole average point to it.

The 14.0 at this year's national championships is even more promising compared to other teams that eventually made it to the top level in the U.S.A.

VTSD won the 2009 competition with a 13.1 average, which was the starting point for SDC Rhythm XP members Doug Barron and Andrew Happick. They followed up a year later with USPA gold for Carolina Turbo XP in the AAA/Advanced Class.

Vega finished also ahead of SDMW NEXT who won Intermediate Class gold with a 13.8 average in 2015. NEXT added USPA Advanced Class gold a year later, as well.

Only VTSD/Turbo XP and NEXT have won USPA titles in both categories in consecutive years. Vega XP has plans to continue in 2018 and may have a set goal right there...