posted Jan 11th, 2020 - The NSL News mentioned during the coverage of the FAI Outdoor World Cup 2019 that the British delegation was the second largest one at the event in October last year. The update on 21 October 2019 also explained that the British Parachute Association (BPA) rewards the AA Class winner at the national championships of the previous year by sanctioning the team for the next FAI World Cup, where a total of up to four teams may compete for each nation.

This traditional reward for the AA Class champion has been very attractive, as all British AA Class champions since 2008 have used the opportunity for a meet experience with an international atmosphere and world-class competition. It's an exciting incentive after moving up into the AAA Class competition with the complete FAI/IPC dive pool.

Alola, with an all-female lineup, was the latest example for this BPA tradition, even though the team decided to sign up for the 4-way Women competition in Eloy. It turned out to be the first time that the British AA Class winner competed in the 4-way Women category at the following FAI World Cup.

Bodyflight Storm was the only other British AA Class winner with an all-female lineup in 2006. However, Storm did not attend the FAI World Cup in 2007. Instead, they competed at the FAI World Meet 2008 and won the 4-way Women gold medals for the British Formation Skydiving delegation.

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FAI World Cup 2019			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Women		13,11,16	P,22,4	O,7,21	9,20,G	18,15,L	K,10,3	6,14,C	1,M,A,17	F,D,Q,8	2,5,E	Total	Avg
1	Aerodyne Weembi Girls	FR	17	19	25	20	20	19	20	23	25	21	209	20.9
2	NFTO	UK	17	17	23	19	17	17	19	21	23	20	193	19.3
3	Phoenix XP	US	13	13	17	14	13	12	14	17	18	14	145	14.5
4	Skynamite	DE	13	12	18	16	11	13	13	15	16	16	143	14.3
5	SNE Fly Girls	US	11	11	15	14	11	12	13	14	16	12	129	12.9
6	Victorious Secret	US	9	11	14	10	11	11	12	16	14	14	122	12.2
7	Alola	UK	9	10	13	10	9	9	9	12	16	11	108	10.8

NFTO - Alola at the FAI World Cup 2019

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All other AA Class winners competed in the 4-way Open category at the world cups of the following year. Tyanno4us Rex were Alola's predecessor as the AA Class champion of 2016. They traveled to Saarlouis in Germany next year and got only four completed rounds, due to an unfortunate weather situation. Tyanno4us Rex continued for another year and then disbanded.

Phoenix were the British AA Class champions in 2014 and traveled to the Netherlands next year, where the skydiving center in Teuge hosted the FAI World Cup. Tyanno4us Rex and Phoenix both managed to leave several other AAA Class teams behind on the 4-way Open Class leaderboards.

Hyrrokkin won the AA Class competition at the UK Nationals 2012 and had a longer travel distance to the hosting site of the FAI World Cup 2013 at Banja Luka in Bosnia/Herzegovina. Team members Chris Judd and James Woods have been training and competing with British top team Chimera and attended the world cups in 2017 and 2019. Chimera will now compete for the UK delegation in 4-way Open at the FAI World Meet this year.

Unagi won the AA Class competition at the UK Nationals 2010, after two years in the A Class. They were rewarded with the earlier trip to Saarlouis in 2011. The weather was much better that year, and Unagi completed eight rounds before missing the cuts for semifinals and finals.

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UK Nationals 2006		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Total	Avg
Rank	AA Class	1,H,4	22,13	L,E,F,19	Q,P,7	D,11,8	2,A,18	B,6,O	20,9	Total	Avg
1	Bodyflight Storm	13	7	19	17	11	11	15	13	106	13.3
2	Damn Zebra	11	8	14	15	8	10	11	11	88	11.0
3	Vertically Challenged	8	8	14	13	9	10	14	8	84	10.5
4	Damp Patch	10	8	13	11	7	9	14	10	82	10.3
5	Fly Navy	10	8	11	12	7	9	14	9	80	10.0
5	Cuidado	10	8	9	13	8	10	11	11	80	10.0
7	Polaris	8	8	9	13	9	9	12	11	79	9.9
8	2 Dead Sluts+1…	6	6	11	12	9	7	14	9	74	9.3
9	S-Sense	7	7	10	11	7	7	8	6	63	7.9
10	Mojo	6	4	5	11	2	8	12	7	55	6.9

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Phobia started in the Rookie Class of 2006, moved up into the A Class in 2007 and won the British AA Class title a year later.

The FAI World Cup in 2009 took place in Prostejov, Czech Republic, where Phobia competed in the AAA/4-way Open Class. Phobia added another year in the AAA Class and then disbanded.

Bodyflight Storm became the third British 4-way world champion team in 4-way Women after winning the AA Class competition at the UK Nationals 2006. V-Max had won the first FAI gold medals for Great Britain in 2003, followed by Airkix in 2006. It was the FAI World Meet 2008 in Maubeuge, France, when the AA Class team of 2006 won FAI gold medals in 4-way Women.

Bodyflight Storm then finished off the team career with AAA Class gold medals at the UK Nationals 2008.

By the way, Airkix 4-way Women world champion of 2006, Julia Foxwell, is still a very active 4-way competitor. She is in the NFTO lineup for the upcoming Wind Games, after several years with Satori...