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Did You Know...

... that the 4-way junior revolution started a decade ago?

Blue Skies Mag: TURNING POINTS in October
posted Dec 9th, 2017 - No surprise that this issue, with the story of a "former-skydiver's 11-year-old kid now kicking ass in the tunnel has inspired me to go back to one of my favorite topics: 4-way juniors. I have been bringing up the wonderful addition to our sport for years, which came with the invention of the "vertical wind tunnel" for training purposes.

Yes, that's how Bill Kitchen called SkyVenture Orlando when he built the first wind tunnel in 1998, the beginning of the indoor empire that former Airspeed member Alan Metni created after he bought SkyVenture Orlando from Bill.

Kids were not even a thought in our sport before that, except when you needed a babysitter for the next visit at the DZ. Well, some of the progressive DZ owners eventually added playgrounds to their facilities to attract the skydiving fathers and mothers with their whole families.

That's different now. It's the kids who are dragging the parents to the wind tunnels: "You can hang out in the bar next door while I am flying, dad!" OK OK, I have not heard a youngster say that yet, as my "children" are old enough to drive to DZs or wind tunnels by themselves. However, I am sure that other parents have experienced similar situations. I love it...

Team Aeon at the World Challenge 2008

TURNING POINTS: 4-way Juniors Part 4 - Revolution

Back to the topic. The kids are not only "kicking ass in the tunnel" in all the artistic events - I have pointed out 4-way juniors for a long time, first time in 2007, when SkyVenture Colorado had created the first 4-way junior team.

Yes, that was a decade ago! Airspeed member Gary Beyer and his British 4-way Women's world champion wife Emma were coaching the first 4-way junior team in history, Colorado Prodigy, in Denver.

It was an all-girls lineup, with Allie Newell (point) and her sister Rylie (tail), Tatiana Roman (center inside), Ellie McCoy (center outside) and alternate Laura Fletcher. Colorado Prodigy disbanded at the end of 2007 when the families moved to other locations.

Ellie McCoy was hooked though and continued with three adults (Emma and Gary Beyer, Paul Gatling) on Team Aeon. She became the first 4-way junior who posted scores on the SKYLEAGUE.COM leaderboard at the World Challenge 2008 in Bedford with a 21.7 average in the AAA Class competition.

World Challenge 2008
12345678910TotalAvg
RankAAA Class21,18,1315,11,FE,H,19,O14,2,N12,1,KQ,5,C,3P,9,A,J6,G,74,10,M16,20,BTotalAvg
1Airspeed OdysseyUS2126372322334529212628328.3
2XLUK2225382323304329242428128.1
3Perris FuryUS2121332221274329222226126.1
4ArcteryxNO2023332121293929232226026.0
5HayaBusa DefenceBE2023352021224226232225425.4
6Skylight BarkliRU1916332017244526212124224.2
7Aerokart Mamba PamiersFR1822291818263724211823123.1
8SatoriUK1922282018263624171922922.9
9Paraclete XPUS1920291818233626211722722.7
10Bodyflight StormUK1821262018233926191622622.6
11Nice Maubeuge HolidaysFR1720281818243525182022322.3
12Kaktus HunterRU1820282116213924191622222.2
13AeonUS1920251818233721181821721.7
14Hayabusa BetaBE1719241917233522181721121.1
15EX3MixIT1718281817223122161820720.7
16White Nice PujautFR1618271816183121171619819.8
17FortitudoNO1518251716203021151819519.5
18South ParkUK1315261316222921141618518.5
19VertigoIT1515231514192821161618218.2
19Magic 4LT1518201616182421181618218.2
21Danish BlazeDK1117231612192919161617817.8
22Pro TeamFI1516231615202517161317617.6
23FusionUK1416241615182217141517117.1
24X3M4SNO1316221513172418161617017.0
25VoodooUK1515181513172618151416616.6
25TigersFI1213191413182919161316616.6
27Alpen GlowAT1117221613181918151416316.3
28SequenceDK914221313162617151215715.7
29Sonic VUK1214201211151916131314514.5
30AirmaggedonHU7812768151294888.8
Shamrock Showdown 2018 Information: Cessna Caravan and Twin Otter both confirmed as jump planes

It was the same event where the next 4-way junior story began with Team Future. 11-year young Kayla Tinucci and her brother Justin (8) were flying at SkyVenture Colorado, as well, where they probably saw the Prodigy girls training 4-way. SkyVenture instructors Rusty Lewis and Daniel Perry took them under their wings and they competed in the AA Class at the World Challenge 2008, finishing with an 8.6 average at their first meet. A year later they posted 18.4 in Bedford.

Pro Team at the World Challenge 2008
There were more 4-way junior stories over the years, including Kalle Pohjola with the Pro Team from Finland and Yannick and Valerie Bisson from Canada. It would take too long to cover it all, and I will skip the 4-way junior decade between the 2007 beginnings and the present for now.

Fact is that we have an official 4-way junior competition now, which was introduced by FAI/IPC as a separate category at the Indoor World Cup 2016.

The 4-way junior boys and girls post their scores on the same leaderboard and apply the AA Class dive pool and rules. Some of the 4-way junior teams and competitors also participate at AAA Class events randomly and voluntarily.

Now I am finally coming to the point after skipping the ten years of 4-way junior experimenting and development. The 4-way junior teams are kicking ass in the tunnel.

Huh, and I am not only saying this because it sounds cool and because it fits with the December issue of BLUE SKIES MAG. No, this is literal, as the best 4-way junior teams in the world are leaving the adult teams in the dust. It's a 4-way revolution.

Worled Challenge 2008
12345678910TotalAvg
RankAA Class1,G,11M,6,8A,O,H,DN,Q,13J,19,K9,P,18E,C,F,1522,2B,L,204,14TotalAvg
1S4UK1418221918152312171317117.1
2PhobiaUK1214261716142010151115515.5
3KaizenUK914251614151912171115215.2
4Fend 4 YourselfUK1115231811141812141214814.8
5BacchanaliaUK111424141112169131113513.5
6Block PartyUK913191512111411131112812.8
7EscondidoUK91223111212158131112612.6
8Phantom ForceBE5111476131110118969.6
9Team FutureUS712111097146100868.6
Team Future at the World Challenge 2008
SKYLEAGUE.COM keeps track of a lot of records. One of them is the annual world ranking in each Formation Skydiving event. The ranking calculates the meet averages and compares them directly. There are inaccuracies due to the nature of the competition draw, while it still provides a basic idea of the performance level.

These rankings separate teams by their categories (AAA - AA - A - Rookie) and the meet environment (indoor - outdoor). I am now looking at the AA Class teams who have attended indoor meets in 2017. Guess who is on the very top of the ranking? Yes, the winning teams in the 4-way junior category at the FAI Indoor World Meet 2017, which took place in Montreal in October.

They did not compete directly with AA Class adult teams at this event. You have to look at the SKYLEAGUE.COM rankings to see what I am talking about. The meet averages of the 4-way junior teams are not only on the top of the ranking. The latest results are simply kicking ass of any other AA class teams in the world.

Other countries have taken the 4-way junior top spots and are preparing their AAA/Open Class top teams and competitors of the future, even though the roots are in the U.S. France won (28.8) with one of the three Aerokart Ak'demie junior project teams, followed by the Canadian Air Devils (26.0) and the Czech HF Junior Cubs. The Skyblockers from Singapore finished in fourth place, and the U.S. delegation did not have a 4-way junior team.

28.8 - it's a revolution.

Okay, this was the AA Class competition, and NMP PCH HayaBusa from Belgium won the AAA Class with a 32.7 average in Montreal. So what? Do you think that the 4-way juniors will stop there? This is only the beginning, and it will only be a matter of time when the first 4-way junior team will kick ass in the AAA Class. HayaBusa: watch out :-)

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