posted Jun 7th, 2020 - The recent change in SDC Rhythm XP's lineup is an interesting move in many ways, and it also has many different angles for a closer look.

One of the most interesting angles is the one that goes back in 4-way competition history and reviews the relationship between the reigning and defending indoor and outdoor world champions from Belgium, NMP PCH HayaBusa, and new Rhythm member Christy Frikken. HayaBusa and Rhythm will compete for their countries at the FAI Mondial Tanay 2020 next year.

The NSL News pointed out on June 1st that only three countries have ever won FAI gold medals in 4-way Open since 1985. United States and France won all gold medals between 1985 and 2012 before NMP PCH HayaBusa won the first 4-way title for Belgium in 2014 and defended it twice successfully. The Belgians will try to win their 4th consecutive title in Russia next year, while SDC Rhythm XP's new lineup has over a year to get ready and bring back the 4-way Open title to the United States.

New Rhythm member Christy Frikken brings a special experience into the battle with the four reigning world champions (Andy Grauwels, Dennis Praet, Jeroen Nollet, David Grauwels now on camera) and new inside center Michele Silvi. She is the only Rhythm member who has defeated NMP PCH HayaBusa in her 4-way career.

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World Challenge 2008			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class Top 10		21,18,13	15,11,F	E,H,19,O	14,2,N	12,1,K	Q,5,C,3	P,9,A,J	6,G,7	4,10,M	16,20,B	Total	Avg
1	Airspeed Odyssey	US	21	26	37	23	22	33	45	29	21	26	283	28.3
2	XL	UK	22	25	38	23	23	30	43	29	24	24	281	28.1
3	Perris Fury	US	21	21	33	22	21	27	43	29	22	22	261	26.1
4	Arcteryx	NO	20	23	33	21	21	29	39	29	23	22	260	26.0
5	HayaBusa Defence	BE	20	23	35	20	21	22	42	26	23	22	254	25.4
6	Skylight Barkli	RU	19	16	33	20	17	24	45	26	21	21	242	24.2
7	Aerokart Mamba Pamiers	FR	18	22	29	18	18	26	37	24	21	18	231	23.1
8	Satori	UK	19	22	28	20	18	26	36	24	17	19	229	22.9
9	Paraclete XP	US	19	20	29	18	18	23	36	26	21	17	227	22.7
10	Bodyflight Storm	UK	18	21	26	20	18	23	39	26	19	16	226	22.6

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Perris Fury and NMP PCH HayaBusa at the World Challenge 2008

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This did not happen when she was in the same slot for SDC Rhythm XP between 2013 and 2015. The Rhythm lineup of this time period (Christy Frikken, Mikhail Markine, Steve and Janette Lefkowitz, with Thad Paker on camera) met NMP PCH HayaBusa many times at indoor and outdoor competitions and were never close enough for a serious challenge.

Christy Frikken had trained and competed with Perris Fury before she joined SDC Rhythm XP in 2013 after a short break. Perris Fury and NMP PCH HayaBusa were formed almost at the same time. The Belgian team posted their first scores in April 2004, a year before the first Perris Fury scores in March 2005. Both teams were on a very similar scoring level in their early years.

It was at the World Challenge in March 2008 when both teams eventually met each other directly at the same place and time. Christy Frikken, Josh Hall, Chris Farina and Uli Stuewe won the first duel against HayaBusa's first military lineup (Luc Verstrepen, Roy Janssen, David and Andy Grauwels) by seven points (261 - 254). Christy Frikken was Fury's outside center.

NMP PCH HayaBusa with new member Waedong So in the point slot were much closer to the same Fury lineup a year later in Bedford (277 - 275). However, she defeated the Belgians again at the indoor competition, and her team posted a new indoor world record (59) in Round 4.

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World Challenge 2009			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class Top 10		17,10,4	19,Q,8	G,7,D,9	A,C,E,H,K	14,M,J,3	N,16,6	20,F,12	15,21,L	13,22,18	11,2,B	Total	Avg
1	Airspeed Odyssey	US	23	26	36	53	29	27	24	24	21	25	288	28.8
2	Perris Fury	US	22	20	38	59	22	26	21	24	22	23	277	27.7
3	HayaBusa Defence	BE	22	25	32	56	25	25	21	25	21	23	275	27.5
4	XL	UK	21	24	35	51	25	25	23	25	20	24	273	27.3
5	Aerodyne Cypres Maubeuge	FR	22	26	34	44	26	25	22	24	22	23	268	26.8
6	GKXP	US	22	22	32	45	23	24	21	21	18	19	247	24.7
7	Arcteryx Nice	NO	20	24	31	41	23	23	21	21	19	21	244	24.4
8	Satori	UK	19	21	30	45	24	21	19	22	18	22	241	24.1
9	Kaktus Hunter	RU	18	20	31	45	23	22	20	21	19	20	239	23.9
9	Aerokart Pamiers Maubeuge	FR	21	22	33	41	23	17	20	23	18	21	239	23.9

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Perris Fury and NMP PCH HayaBusa at the World Challenge 2009

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The next HayaBusa lineup with new point Denis Praet wiped out Fury's 59-pointer two years later at the same place with the still standing 65-point world record. Perris Fury's original lineup had disbanded by then, and SDC Rhythm XP competed in Bedford for the second time at the 2011 event.

NMP PCH HayaBusa and Perris Fury with Christy Frikken met each other for the first time at an outdoor competition at the Shamrock Showdown 2010. Perris Fury's original lineup finished 15 points behind HayaBusa in DeLand.

The same Fury lineup could neither keep up any longer with the ever-improving Belgians a month later in Bedford, even though it was a much closer race. NMP PCH HayaBusa was now only four points behind the top spot at the World Challenge 2010, with a 3-point advantage over Perris Fury. SDC Rhythm XP finished in 10th place at the same event. HayaBusa then took over the world's indoor top spot a year later and have never looked back ever since.

Christy Frikken still has her two indoor victories over NMP PCH HayaBusa in her records. Now she will also have a new outdoor opportunity to face off with a different Belgian lineup than the one that she was competing against with SDC Rhythm XP's lineup of 2013 - 2015. She was in the outside center slot when Perris Fury defeated NMP PCH HayaBusa. She is now back as inside center for SDC Rhythm XP.

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Shamrock Showdown 2010			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class		12,2,B	E,K,M,H,11	L,3,22	C,4,18	13,D,J,1	20,16,17	Q,14,8	O,F,6,10	21,G,9	P,19,5	Total	Avg
1	Aerodyne Aerokart	FR	21	32	21	19	26	21	22	26	29	27	244	24.4
2	NMP-PCH Hayabusa	BE	20	33	17	22	23	19	19	22	26	22	223	22.3
3	Perris Fury	US	19	30	16	19	21	18	21	18	27	19	208	20.8
4	Aerokart Deep Blue Maubeuge	FR	17	29	16	17	19	18	18	21	24	22	201	20.1
5	Paraclete XP4	US	18	29	16	17	20	16	17	22	20	22	197	19.7
6	Black Cat	RU	17	28	17	19	18	18	16	23	21	18	195	19.5
7	Genesis	US	18	27	17	15	20	17	15	21	22	17	189	18.9
8	Mass Defiance	US	17	23	16	17	18	16	15	16	21	20	179	17.9
9	SDC Rhythm XP	US	14	25	16	17	15	15	15	19	20	19	175	17.5
10	Spaceland Blue	US	15	22	15	15	17	15	17	20	20	11	167	16.7
11	Golden Knights Gold	US	12	24	13	14	17	15	16	16	15	17	159	15.9
12	Bodyflight Voluntas	DK	11	21	15	14	16	13	11	17	20	16	154	15.4
13	Speedy Kids XP	US	12	22	14	13	16	14	13	15	17	16	152	15.2
14	Golden Knights Black	US	13	22	12	10	14	14	13	16	18	17	149	14.9
15	DeLand Shmeland XP	US	15	23	12	10	12	13	14	14	15	16	144	14.4
16	Teiwaz Falcon	US	12	17	12	12	14	11	12	15	16	13	134	13.4
17	Fallout	US	11	18	10	12	13	12	14	15	14	12	131	13.1
18	Carolina Turbo XP	US	9	20	10	10	12	12	15	14	16	12	130	13.0
19	Friday 13	RU	11	17	10	9	12	13	9	15	15	17	128	12.8
20	Kaizen	UK	10	17	12	9	9	11	12	14	16	11	121	12.1

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