posted Sep 2nd, 2020 - Recent NSL News updates have mostly covered teams in training. There have not been many events and competitions, due to the corona virus crisis. However, the footage that especially the top teams in the sport have provided allows at least a view of what can be expected when the situation changes to the better again.

The NSL Network has brought teams together indirectly for many years by coordinating events as much as possible and applying the same competition draw for events that fall on the same dates. The internet has made it possible to synchronize meets and then spread scores, videos and news across the globe.

The internet will once again serve as the connector for upcoming online events that will feature teams not only in training. The NSL Cloud Mondial 2020 will bring together as many international teams as possible this month, and another internet event, the Nationals 2.0, is scheduled for the September 19 weekend.

The atmosphere of performing the competition rounds at the teams' home DZs is naturally not the same compared to a live event. However, the fact that scores and videos will be posted and reviewed by a worldwide audience simulates at least some of the pressure that makes live events so special. The social part of live events cannot be simulated at all, unfortunately.

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Arizona Airspeed and SDC Rhythm XP in recent training action

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The two U.S. top teams, SDC Rhythm XP and Arizona Airspeed, have both been back in training for a while and miss competition opportunities just as much as all other teams do. Neither of the two teams has yet competed at an outdoor competition with their new lineups. Arizona Airspeed had the complete new lineup at two indoor meets, the Wind Games and the Paraclete XP Indoor Championship 2020.

SDC Rhythm XP competed at the same two events with two different lineups. Golden Knights team captain Andrew Starr was still the new team member for the 2020 world meet season in January in Spain, and JaNette Lefkowitz competed for her team at Paraclete in February. The new Rhythm lineup with Christy Frikken has not performed a competition round yet, neither indoor nor outdoor.

Arizona Airspeed and SDC Rhythm XP both recently allowed the audience a glimpse of their current outdoor performances by providing the NSL News with footage of some training jumps. Christy Frikken was back in California at the time of a recent NSL Live Talk conversation, and the most recent visit of the NSL News at Skydive Paraclete XP included a new interview with Arizona Airspeed.

Both team videographers, Taylor Buffington (Airspeed) and Justin Wageman (Rhythm), then provided the newest freefall footage of their teams, which is also showing their own progression during the team training.

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USPA Nationals 2015		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open	J,H,2,8	6,D,18	F,9,L,O	1,17,E	K,19,N,P	3,7,5	4,A,B,12	11,16,M	15,Q,22	20,14,10	Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	27	24	43	23	26	25	25	23	21	19	256	25.6
2	SDC Rhythm XP	22	21	42	25	27	20	23	20	20	16	236	23.6
3	Golden Knights	23	19	37	22	24	19	23	21	19	17	224	22.4
4	Carolina Turbo XP	22	20	34	22	25	20	19	21	18	16	217	21.7
5	HG XP	15	18	30	18	22	19	18	15	14	12	181	18.1
6	Prestige Worldwide	18	16	27	15	16	16	14	16	14	13	165	16.5
7	EOS	17	14	26	16	15	15	15	17	13	13	161	16.1
8	Dallas 350	16	16	23	15	17	17	15	16	14	11	160	16.0
9	Verve XP	15	13	27	14	17	16	16	16	13	12	159	15.9
10	Spaceland Lite	16	14	23	13	17	13	13	13	14	10	146	14.6
11	Camdak.is	14	11	21	12	12	13	12	8	10	8	121	12.1

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Arizona Airspeed and SDC Rhythm XP at the USPA Nationals 2015

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The NSL News has reviewed Christy Frikken's earlier time with SDC Rhythm XP (2013 - 2015) with previous updates related to the topic of the new team member. The footage of the current lineups' performances also offers an opportunity to go back in time and review the videos of both teams at the last event with their 2015 lineups, the USPA Nationals 2015.

Mikhail Markine was still in SDC Rhythm XP's lineup in 2015, after three years together with Christy Frikken. He joined Arizona Airspeed after the USPA Nationals. Christy Frikken's former Perris Fury team mate Chris Farina was in the Airspeed lineup, together with Thomas Hughes and Thiago Gomes. Only Niklas Hemlin trained and competed with Arizona Airspeed in 2015 and today.

He and Mikhail Markine joined forces in 2016 and were now the foundation for the newest lineup with Christopher Kuhlmann and Joey Marshall. Mikhail Markine and Niklas Hemlin have never been piece partners yet. Mikhail Markine started in the point slot for Arizona Airspeed when Niklas Hemlin was inside center. Mikhail Markine switched to the tail slot a year later, while Niklas Hemlin replaced Thomas Hughes as the outside center.

SDC Rhythm XP had a complete makeover in 2016. It was the first year for JaNette and Steve Lefkowitz with former Carolina Turbo team mates Andrew Happick and Doug Barron. The four years with the new lineup culminated with the U.S. 4-way title at the USPA Nationals 2019. Christy Frikken is back in the lineup now and will compete for Rhythm at the FAI Mondial 2020.