posted Nov 30th, 2017 - Updates from the Czech Republic are a regular feature for the NSL News for a very good reason. The Czech 4-way teams are very active in training and competition and generate scores and interesting stories on a regular basis.

One of the most fascinating topics has been the development of the Czech junior team project that Jan Klapka started shortly after the Hurricane Factory had joined the Indoor Cloud League in 2013, and the NSL News has given the Czech junior teams and competitors a lot of attention over the years.

The HF Cubs were one of the first two junior teams who participated in the Indoor Cloud League events and began posting scores on the monthly leaderboards. The Cubs now won the first FAI medals for the Czech Republic at the FAI Indoor World Meet 2017. Then they followed up with the 1st place in an 18-team AA Class field last weekend at the ISR Grand Prix 2017.

The Cubs are also in 1st place in the AA Class on the World Tunnel League's November leaderboard, and they tried to collect new Indoor Cloud League points for the Hurricane Factory, as well.

Hurricane Factory - November	AAA	AA	A	RRR	RR	R	Total
Teams	H,6,G,17	H,6,13	H,G,2	C,N,O	M,H,G	M,H	Total
Bad Boys	29	24	-	-	-	-	53
HF Flying Circus	23	19	-	-	-	-	-
Accord	15	12	13	-	-	-	-
HF Junior Cubs	-	18	-	-	-	-	-
Mimozemky	-	11	15	24	-	-	39
Mirek Team	-	-	12	-	-	-	-
Elements	-	-	-	22	-	-	-
HF Flying Rebels	-	-	10	10	12	16	28
HF Junior Chameleons	-	-	-	-	8	10	-
Hurricane Factory's Best of November	29	24	15	24	12	16	120

It is very unusual that the HF Cubs do not contribute to the monthly ICL total for the Hurricane Factory, as they have been doing it for a long time. The four young Czech ladies are not eligible any longer for the A Class sequences. They have been scoring higher than 25-pointers too many times.

The Indoor Cloud League rules require teams in the A Class and in all three Rookie categories (RRR - RR- R) to move up once they have posted 25+ scores twice. Jan Klapka applies the rules very carefully, which are meant to encourage progression into the more challenging technical categories.

However, the HF Cubs are in a special situation. According to the FAI/IPC rules, 4-way junior teams apply the AA Class dive pool and rules, and the 4-to 5-point sequences are within the range of the AAA/AA/A dive pools at the same time. Any AA Class draw usually generates 5-point sequences that could also be part of a AAA Class competition, and a 4-point sequence in the AA Class could also be part of an A Class meet.

ISR Grand Prix 2017			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Total	Avg
Rank	AA Class		21,P,F	B,H,Q,14	D,9,K	18,22	G,O,M,6	L,N,E,7	11,J,15	2,C,A	Total	Avg
1	HF Cubs	CZ	24	25	25	11	26	20	19	17	167	20.9
2	Falco	BE	18	24	26	10	22	23	15	18	156	19.5
3	Tripple S	BE	18	17	24	11	21	18	12	17	138	17.3
4	Invitro	BE	19	18	20	11	20	19	13	16	136	17.0
5	Trance Ition!	NL	20	15	21	10	19	19	13	14	131	16.4
5	Flying Circus	NL	21	17	20	10	20	19	11	13	131	16.4
7	Zero!	IT	18	19	17	11	19	17	14	15	130	16.3
8	Blok 43	NL	17	15	18	10	19	16	13	16	124	15.5
9	Shinobi	NL	17	14	17	8	19	16	10	12	113	14.1
10	Bad Habits	NL	15	14	14	8	14	13	10	13	101	12.6
11	Beauties And The Beast	BE	15	14	11	8	14	14	9	14	99	12.4
11	4Midable	NL	12	15	16	7	15	14	8	12	99	12.4
13	Dimension	NL	17	14	15	5	15	12	11	9	98	12.3
14	ISR Flying Unicorns	NL	14	10	12	8	14	16	11	12	97	12.1
15	Vintage Vipers	NL	13	14	15	7	10	14	8	11	92	11.5
16	Escort Fly	IT	14	14	12	5	12	14	9	11	91	11.4
17	Lightning	NL	14	11	14	5	14	12	8	10	88	11.0
18	Paradocks	NL	13	12	14	5	13	11	7	10	85	10.6

The A Class of the Indoor Cloud League has always 4-point sequences, including one block, as the Rookie Class sequences offer enough random formations in the progression from the beginner to the expert level. This creates the situation where the HF Cubs and other 4-way junior teams may perform AA and A Class sequences both, which are also a part of their training and meet agenda for the FAI/IPC 4-way Junior category.

The trouble for the HF Cubs is the fact that they have grown out of the Indoor Cloud League's A Class and do not compete in the AAA/Open Class at FAI/IPC events. They can only post AAA and AA scores for the Hurricane Factory's Indoor Cloud League account, and they are facing the best Czech senior teams in both categories, HF Bad Boys, HF Chicks, HF Flying Circus.

The internal Czech leaderboard is showing only one score for the HF Cubs in November, the 18-pointer for the AA Class sequence, while Mimozemky had to take care of the A Class score for the Hurricane Factory. However, the HF Cubs finished only one point behind HF Flying Circus, even though the Bad Boys with coach and manager Jan Klapka were still far away. It will probably not take too long until the first Czech 4-way juniors will post scores in the AAA Class, as well...