posted Jun 14th, 2002 - The NSL News continues with steps into the 4-way history and the archives with previously unpublished stories and information. Once again, the update from June 2002 relates to current events.

Interestingly, the conversation with Golden Knights team captain John Hoover in June 2002 was also recorded via the internet, just as many of the current NSL Live Talk sessions had to take place on the Zoom platform, due to the corona virus crisis. There was no similar crisis in 2002, and it was simply a different way how to connect quickly with John Hoover after an interesting meet of the Carolina Skydiving League. It became interesting when Solly Williams visited the NSL office in DeLand and took command of the online interview.

The connections to current events came when the Golden Knights won the complimentary windtunnel time after applying a handicap system, sponsored by SkyVenture Orlando. They forfeited the award, and Angry Beez received the free windtunnel time. Angry Beez member Jason McClure was recently a part of the NSL News update on May 3rd. He trains and competes with new Carolina team Kaos Theory XP. John Hoover also assigned the tail slot of the 2002 All-Star team to Eric Heinsheimer, who competed at the Paraclete XP Indoor Championship and made the NSL News headlines on April 4th. John Hoover also predicted Brazil to win the Soccer World Cup in 2002, and he was correct.

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"The Golden Knights Gold and Black teams posted record scores last weekend at the third season meet of the Carolina Skydiving League. The NSL News tried to find out more about the Golden Knights and their secrets and interviewed team captain John Hoover online yesterday. The interview took a surprising turn at the end."

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NSL News interview with John Hoover and Solly Williams on 14 June 2002

NSL News: John, congratulations to a great performance last weekend. Will you use the SkyVenture wind tunnel time that you won?

John Hoover: Tell the other teams that the GK teams are giving up their tunnel time.

NSL News: Thank you. The Angry Beez will be happy. John, the Golden Knights Gold scored a 23.0 average last weekend. Was that your highest meet average ever?

John Hoover: I am not sure for six rounds.

NSL News: If you compare these six rounds with the first six rounds of the Shamrock Showdown, which draw was the faster one?

John Hoover: The Shamrock Showdown was definitely the faster draw.

NSL News: Airspeed Vertical and DeLand Majik scored 22.3 and 22.6 in DeLand in March over ten rounds. Do you think that the Golden Knights are catching up?

John Hoover: I think that we are definitely on the right track. It is hard to say if we have caught up or not.

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NSL Meet Weekend June 2002		1	2	3	4	5	6	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class	D,K,P,A,G	11,C,22	M,F,17,20	14,J,16	3,9,N	L,1,13	Total	Avg
1	Golden Knights Gold	31	19	23	20	26	19	138	23.0
2	Golden Knights Black	25	15	17	16	19	16	108	18.0
3	Angry Beez	20	11	13	13	15	12	84	14.0
4	Golden Knights CISM	19	12	13	10	15	12	81	13.5
5	Formula 4	17	11	14	10	14	11	77	12.8
6	Carolina Verve	9	9	9	8	9	5	49	8.2
6	82nd Division	7	9	10	10	8	5	49	8.2
8	1/2-n-1/2 CISM	11	9	8	4	11	3	46	7.7
9	Vertical Junction	12	8	6	5	7	7	45	7.5
Rank	AA Class	D,K,P,A	11,C,22	M,F,20	14,J,8	4,9	L,1,13	Total	Avg
1	Carolina Ice	10	4	4	6	8	0	32	5.3
2	4 Cats in a Dryer	6	3	4	4	4	3	24	4.0
3	Critical Mass	2	4	4	2	2	2	16	2.7
4	Insatiable 4	6	4	3	0	0	0	13	2.2

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NSL News: Did you jump the remaining four rounds of last weekend's meet later? John Hoover: Yes, we did.

NSL News: What was the result? John Hoover: That depends on how you read the first half.

NSL News: I read numbers the way they appear on the scoreboard.

John Hoover: According to our own judging, the scores might have been a lot different. Using the CSL results, we finished with a high 21-average.

NSL News: This means that the Gold team is pretty much where Airspeed and Majik were in March. How far will the top teams push the limits this year?

John Hoover: I think that it will take over a 22-average to win the nationals, and depending on the draw as high as a 23.

NSL News: The Black team recently seems to move mountains. How would you judge their potential this year?

John Hoover: Our Black team is showing huge potential. I think that they will be in the 19s before the Nationals.

NSL News: Did you know that DeLand Majik has an 8-way team, as well? John Hoover: I have heard rumors but nothing substantial.

NSL News: They trained the last two days in DeLand. How is the 8-way situation this year with the Black team improving dramatically?

John Hoover: We are going to take the next two weeks off and then spend two weeks working on the 8-way blocks at Gardiner, New York, the Ranch.

NSL News: Are the Golden Knights aiming at the double-gold in 4-way and 8-way in September? John Hoover: Yes. NSL News: What will it take to win the 8-way this year?

John Hoover: It is hard to tell because I do not know who is doing what when it comes to training.

NSL News: What do the Golden Knights expect to score in September to win the gold medal?

John Hoover: I am hoping to be in the 22s in 4-way and the 17 to 18 in 8-way.

NSL News: Looking back at the 2002 season until to date, there seems to have been a big step for both Golden Knights 4-way teams in the last six to eight weeks. What is the reason for this?

John Hoover: As you know the Golden Knights train continually. During our winter training period we do a lot of jumps in a very short period of time, about 400 in two months. This leads to being very tired and not as sharp as you would normally hope to be. As the year progressed, we have become used to making 40 jumps a week, and therefore have been able to perform on a more consistent level. This is the first year that the Black team has gotten to train uninterrupted. I think that their progress was a natural step in their team's evolution.

NSL News: How much time do you spend in the windtunnel?

John Hoover: We have done some tunnel training this year, but not as much as years in the past. We are focusing on exits and there are no exits in the tunnel.

NSL News: What are the benefits for you in the tunnel, what are the benefits for beginners?

John Hoover: The tunnel has a limited potential for some of the older jumpers, but for a new team it is the most valuable tool to ever be invented. Older teams might learn bad technique habits by working in the tunnel too much. But the mind-work and body-flying for beginners makes a huge difference.

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USPA Nationals 2002		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open	B,12,2	K,6,4	20,5,13	D,Q,11,18	N,3,9	A,21,16	22,H,L,J	G,C,7,15	E,19,17	10,P,M,8	Total	Avg
1	Golden Knights	19	21	19	21	29	22	23	23	22	19	218	21.8
2	Arizona Airspeed	19	22	18	21	26	22	22	21	23	21	215	21.5
3	DeLand Majik	19	19	20	20	24	22	23	24	22	19	212	21.2
4	Golden Knights Black	15	17	16	17	20	17	20	20	19	16	177	17.7
5	Airspeed Zulu	17	18	14	17	22	15	18	17	17	16	171	17.1
6	Cross Keys Fluid	16	16	13	15	18	16	15	13	15	15	152	15.2
7	DeLand Frost	15	16	12	13	17	15	17	17	14	13	149	14.9
8	Ranch Tribe	14	14	13	13	17	11	16	10	15	13	136	13.6
9	Elsinore Adrenaline	13	13	12	13	16	11	15	13	15	13	134	13.4
10	Synchronicity	12	12	10	12	17	13	13	15	12	12	128	12.8
11	Untrained Eye	12	12	11	13	14	10	11	9	12	11	115	11.5
12	Team Kruegeraand	8	8	6	5	6	7	6	7	8	5	66	6.6

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NSL News: John, the Golden Knights attend more meets than any of the other top teams. Why is that?

John Hoover: We feel it is important to support leagues like yours as much as we can, without compromising our training. It is all for the betterment of the sport. I have taken a lot of static from others that didn't feel like we were supporting their meets as much as they thought we could, but I say support as much as you can and don't feel bad when you have to draw a line by saying no.

NSL News: Do you think that the meet practice is still beneficial for veterans like you? Or is it more beneficial for beginners?

John Hoover: It depends on the individual in the team. Every person is so different in their reaction to a meet that it is hard to say whether doing more will help a team or not. For my team, it is a chance to stretch out and see what we can achieve, but without facing the other top teams it is hard to say how much benefit it is.

NSL News: Are you not afraid that the other top teams may have easier access to your data and techniques and keep track of you and your scores, know all your secrets?

John Hoover: I don't think that there are that many secrets any more. Most of us don't follow each other's continuity plans, and the block techniques are really the same. I think that each draw is different, and unless you are facing the opposition it is hard to say if that would have been your score or not.

NSL News: John, you are supporting the leagues and participating teams, you are writing a lot of articles for Skydiving revealing the technical details and giving advise. This is very nice. What it your motivation for this support?

John Hoover: Effort. I think that you can tell how dedicated someone is to a sport, or anything else, by how much effort they put into their work. It has been my goal this year to spend less time behind the television and more time behind a computer. I feel like I am accomplishing more and that my love for Formation Skydiving comes out in the effort that I am putting forth.

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USPA Nationals 2002		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	8-way Open	19,B,7	15,8,16	N,L,G,20	6,5,Q	J,9,P,13	10,4,O	18,K,17	E,F,12,2	3,21,11	1,H,M,14	Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	16	20	23	14	17	20	16	18	19	19	182	18.2
2	Golden Knights	14	18	20	17	16	17	13	17	18	18	168	16.8
3	DeLand Majik 9	14	14	18	15	14	17	15	17	16	18	158	15.8
4	Arizona Vengeance	14	17	17	16	14	15	14	15	16	17	155	15.5
5	Deguello	8	9	8	9	10	9	9	10	10	11	93	9.3
6	Ranch Vibe Tribes	9	9	10	6	9	9	9	11	9	11	92	9.2
7	Arizona Evolution	8	8	10	7	4	6	7	8	7	9	74	7.4
8	Buzzing Madley	0	5	5	6	6	8	8	4	6	6	54	5.4
9	Red Line	5	8	0	5	3	2	4	3	4	6	40	4.0

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NSL News: Your efforts are very welcome. When we interviewed you for the NSL Profile, you mentioned that you would like to be back home working on the farm, raising cattle and oranges. Recently it looks more like a writer's future.

John Hoover: That is what I hope.

NSL News: Back to 4-way business. Let's build a 4-way All-Star team. Who is the best point in the country?

John Hoover: Jack Jefferies.

NSL News: Best center outside?

John Hoover: Solly Williams.

NSL News: Solly Williams is Majik's tail.

John Hoover: I know, but that is the position that I would put him in. We put Solly there for a meet once and it was great. It was in a Deland meet in 1997. We did a 19.8 average. I still remember it. If you wanted me to put people in their regular positions, then it would not be an All-Star team.

NSL News: Does Jack at point mean currently the best point, or ever in U.S. history? John Hoover: Ever in U.S. history. NSL News: Best tail? John Hoover: Eric Heinsheimer. NSL News: Best center inside? John Hoover: Dan BC.

NSL News: Accepted. Now, let's choose the current All-Star team with everybody in their original team slot.

John Hoover: Johnny Eagle point, Craig Girard center outside, Eric Heinsheimer tail and Neal Houston, Doug Park or Chris Talbert center inside. I do not like the idea of a current All-Star team. Let me just say that the best All- Star team is the one that can get along. And it is hard to say who that would be. All of the individual skills are similar. It is the personalities that matter.

NSL News: What's the story behind HOOVMAN7, your e-mail address?

John Hoover: Not really sure. I think someone called me Hoovman when I was in Special Forces and it stuck. The seven came when Hoovman was already taken.

NSL News: Why 7?

John Hoover: I tried 8 for 8-way but messed up the billing account and had to start over. Since 8 was taken I had to go to 7, which is the symbolic number for completeness in the bible, after the seven days of creation.

NSL News: Who will win the Soccer World Cup?

John Hoover: Brazil.

NSL News: Who will win the FAI World Cup in 4-way this year?

John Hoover: Who is going?

NSL News: France, Majik, Airspeed, Golden Knights and Norgies. Who will be winning?

John Hoover: Meets are a funny thing. The best trained team doesn't always win. I will say the same thing about the World Cup as I say about the U.S. Nationals: it is all in the draw and who God favors that day.

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At this point, DeLand Majik member Solly Williams walked into the NSL office by coincidence. Speaking of the devil, Hoover had just mentioned him when answering the All-Star questions. Solly Williams and John Hoover are very good friends. Solly Williams was quickly included in the conversation to make it even more interesting.

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Solly Williams: Well, you listen to me, Fatboy. I'll tell you who's going to win.

John Hoover: Tell.

Solly Williams: Meet the new hacker. What's up, bro?

John Hoover: Who is this? Is it the original Fatboy himself?

Solly Williams: It's your bro in Deland, the same bro that's dying to kick your ass.

John Hoover: Kick away, but make sure you have a shoe on.

Solly Williams: I just walked in on Kurt doing his thing. How are you doing? Nice one on the 23-average, very impressive.

John Hoover: Don't believe it. We had at least three busts they didn't catch.

Solly Williams: That's what's happening at this speed though.

John Hoover: I think that the judges are not used to seeing things at that speed. Solly Williams: Hey, I have to go. John Hoover: Later. Solly Williams: Take care. Back to Kurt.

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NSL News: He just walked in, pushed me off my chair and started typing, sorry. I pushed him out of the office now.

John Hoover: No worries. Good thing I didn't say anything incriminating.

NSL News: Will the NSL News audience see more Golden Knights footage on NSL-TV soon?

John Hoover: That is up to the Carolina Skydiving League management. They have our footage and we make no attempt to hide it.

NSL News: How many more meets have you scheduled before the U.S. Nationals 2002?

John Hoover: Just the CaSL meet in August is left.

NSL News: Good luck with everything, John. And thank you for the interview. Thank you, Solly.