posted Mar 27th, 2018 - NMP PCH HayaBusa member Dennis Praet mentioned during his short visit at the French Indoor Nationals 2018 how difficult it has become for his team to create a meet and training schedule for a year. The ever-increasing number of indoor events are a part of this problem, as it seems that there is not much event coordination going on - at least not at this point in time.

Dennis Praet was hoping, together with many other teams and competitors, that there will eventually be a consolidation and a reliable and reasonably coordinated schedule.

Two completely new events are now interfering with the winter/spring schedule that teams and competitors used to be prepared for and that keep several teams from signing up for the traditional World Challenge in Bedford, which is the next upcoming major indoor competition. In fact, host Paul Mayer created the World Challenge before any other hosts ever thought of indoor competition.

It happens that FAI/IPC decided that indoor world cups and world meets are not quite enough yet to feed the organization's new appetite for indoor meets, and they added a European Indoor Championship to the agenda. It will be hosted for the first time by the Norwegian wind tunnel in Voss and is scheduled for the days right after the World Challenge.

World Challenge 2018			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class Power Ranking		TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	Total	Avg
1	NMP-PCH Hayabusa	BE	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2	Arizona Airspeed	US	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
3	Weembi Mix MF	FR	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
4	IFS-Moscow	RU	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
5	ISR FireFlash	BE	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
6	Chimera	UK	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
7	Gavroche Weembi	FR	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
8	ACM Weembi	UK	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
9	NFTO	UK	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
10	Odin Parachute System	FR	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
11	Tenanine	MR	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
12	FlySpot Sky4Four	PL	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
13	Eclipse	UK	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
14	HF Flying Circus	CZ	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
15	JETMAX	BE	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
16	Alakran	ES	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
17	Jazz Republic	ZA	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
18	Skydive University Slovakia	SK	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
19	Les Affranchis Flyzone	FR	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
20	Antimatter	UK	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
21	Falco	BE	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
22	Aladeen	HU	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
23	Chicas Recycled	DE	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
24	Eros	UK	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
25	Barak	ES	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
26	Le 4 Cretins	FR	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
27	Telakka	FI	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
28	Vantage	UK	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
29	Pajama Pumas	UK	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
30	Blackjack	FI	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
31	Nova	CH	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
32	Salty Jacks	UK	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
33	White Squall	FR	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

That's not enough. The German skydiving federation actually scheduled their brand-new national indoor championships exactly on the same World Challenge weekend. German teams have not been a major factor at the Bedford event in the past; however, the overlapping scheduling makes it impossible for any teams to attend both events.

It is like a little miracle that there is still a German team registered for the World Challenge 2018, and it is a very special one. The Chicas, Germany's former national team in 4-way Women, will celebrate a reunion in Bedford, and who would want to miss that...? Team member Petra Bärenfänger, who competed with Veloce QRF in 8-way last weekend at the French Indoor Nationals 2018, said that her team had made this choice before the national indoor championships were scheduled, and they stuck to the plan.

However, several other teams, and mostly the European national teams, have to travel to Norway and attend the FAI/IPC event as a part of their sanctioning obligations. NMP PCH HayaBusa is one of the few exceptions who prefer to compete in Bedford. The Belgian indoor and outdoor world champions have not missed a World Challenge since the event was created in 2006.

There are also a few competitors who even manage to compete in Bedford and in Norway both by rushing across the Northern Sea after Round 10 in Bedford to be in Voss for Round 1.

World Challenge 2018			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	Total	Avg
Rank	AA Class Power Ranking		TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	Total	Avg
1	Airbivores	FR	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2	Tempo	FI	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
3	Ayro	BE	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
4	Hybris	DK	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
5	Tahma	FI	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
6	Fantastic 4	HU	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
7	Intrudair	HU	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
7	Vertigo	UK	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
7	IISYIOCILY	UK	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
7	Windobona Angels	ES	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
7	Free Burds	IE	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
7	Flies4Cake	UK	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

It is in fact one of the top contenders for the prize money at the World Challenge who have two team members at both events. Sophia Pecout and Christine Malnis will secure the first French gold medals in 4-way Women at the new FAI/IPC event, together with the two other Aerodyne Weembi Girls, Pamela Lissajoux and Clementine LeBohec, after their trip to Bedford.

Voss will be the 5th competition for Sophia Pecout and Christine Malnis this year (Wind Games - Shamrock Showdown - French Indoor - World Challenge - FAI/IPC Europe), with the last four of them within a 4-week time frame.

Chimera has also signed up for the World Challenge and will represent the British top level in Bedford with the same lineup as in 2017.

Gavroche has two new members at the World Challenge, after competing with four 8-way world champions at Weembi Lille. Gaëlle Giesen and Aurélien Lemaire join Clement Martin Saint Leon and Jeremie Rollett who take the young French B-Team members under their wings in Bedford. Gaëlle Giesen had her first B-Team emergency situation earlier this year when she had to step in for Pamela Lissajoux at the Wind Games and did extremely well. She is also in the 8-way lineup of the Weembi Girls.

World Challenge 2018			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	Total	Avg
Rank	A Class Power Ranking		TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	Total	Avg
1	Omega4way	PL	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2	Aeropotam's	BE	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
3	One Shot	IT	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
4	Oman Wolf	OM	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
5	VR UniQ	IE	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
6	Recruitz Ice	UK	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
7	Anemoi	UK	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
8	The Flying Penguins	RO	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
8	Nebula	UK	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
8	4eigners	IT	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

It is actually quite impressive that the number of AAA Class teams at the World Challenge still matches the participation last year, despite the scheduling issues and a lot of missing team names.

There is good competition in all categories, as the NSL Power Rankings are showing, and registration is still open. The Bedford event still attracts a lot of new teams to indoor competition who have not experienced international 4-way meets before. The names of the countries where the teams are coming from are still showing a very colorful international combination, which goes through all four categories.

However, the British delegation is still the only one that has teams in each of the four categories on home turf. Ireland and Poland have teams on three of the four leaderboards, and Poland seems to have the top contenders in two events (Rookie - A).

The upcoming weekend does not show any meets on the NSL Calendar. It might be the last training opportunity for the remaining and upcoming indoor events, or maybe just a rest, at least for Sophia Pecout and Christine Malnis...

World Challenge 2018			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	Total	Avg
Rank	Rookie Class Power Ranking		TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	Total	Avg
1	MAD Team	PL	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2	Recruitz Fire	UK	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
3	Ninja Turtles	DK	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
3	Annetastic	NO	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
3	Bumblebex	UK	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
3	We are 4	IE	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
3	Strictly Come Flying	IE	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
3	Tunnel Vision	UK	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
3	Funnel the Tunnel	UK	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-