posted Nov 10th, 2003 - Pete Allum is one of the most experienced 4-way and 8-way competitors in the history of Formation Skydiving competition. He has competed for the United Kingdom at each FAI World Championship and several other international competitions since 1985. His current 4-way team, Sebastian XL, placed fourth at the world meets in 1999, 2001 and 2003.

Pete Allum's NSL Profile was posted as one of the earliest in 2000. The full-time coach and competitor recently moved to DeLand and was hired as the new national coach of the Danish 4-way team. The NSL News asked Allum about the future of XL and the Danish 4-way project.

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NSL News interview with Pete Allum on 10 November 2003

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NSL NEWS: Pete, you have recently moved to DeLand. How do you like the new hometown? PETE ALLUM: It is not really new; I used to live here seven years ago. I am very excited to back here. Solly and I shared a school bus back then. NSL NEWS: You live at Solly's house now. Are you the new Majik adviser? PETE ALLUM: Good god, no. I am here to learn from these guys. One of the main reasons for me to move here was to be able to learn more about 4-way. And these guys are obviously some of the best to learn from.

NSL NEWS: Pete Allum is probably the most experienced competitor and coach in current 4-way history. When did you attend your first national competition and world meet? PETE ALLUM: It was the same year, in 1985. NSL NEWS: What does Pete Allum have to learn from Majik? PETE ALLUM: Different perspective. I have been inside the XL mindset for a number of years. As well as learning from Majik – I would like to be around other top-level teams. By moving to DeLand, I am able to expand my depth of knowledge.

NSL NEWS: Back to your own competitive career, you have been at each world meet ever since 1985. You are still missing a medal although you have been very close with Sebastian XL in the last six years. Have you given up on a medal yet? PETE ALLUM: I have not given up on a medal. After the disappointment of missing out by one point again, I cannot help but think that it was a great opportunity to learn even more. I have read a lot of sport psychology books; the team has had help from Dr. John DeRosalia, but I cannot trade this recent experience.

NSL NEWS: Does this mean that XL will continue? PETE ALLUM: We will decide in a week's time. NSL NEWS: The UK teams used to have good financial support from your association. Will this resource be available once again to help? PETE ALLUM: We have had excellent support from the BPA, financially and also moral support from the BPA members. However, I recently found out that there was no financial support available for Croatia in 2004.

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FAI World Meet 2003			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open		1,11,12	M,J,E,10	K,16,6	13,14,5	D,22,4	9,C,Q,N	F,19,21	2,20,L	18,B,3	8,P,7	Total	Avg
1	Maubeuge	FR	16	26	23	19	21	37	24	21	19	23	229	22.9
2	Golden Knights	US	17	24	22	19	18	35	22	18	19	20	214	21.4
3	DeLand Norgies	NO	13	24	21	19	18	36	19	16	19	21	206	20.6
4	Sebastian XL	UK	14	22	21	19	17	34	21	18	19	20	205	20.5
5	Sinapsi PD	IT	13	24	22	17	17	32	22	18	18	-	183	20.3
6	Endeavour	CH	13	21	19	15	17	29	21	17	16	-	168	18.7
7	NMPV	BE	15	19	19	16	15	29	19	16	16	-	164	18.2
8	EADS	DE	14	19	17	15	15	26	17	16	16	-	155	17.2
9	Wild Wind	RU	15	22	18	15	18	22	17	8	-	-	135	16.9
10	Phenix	SE	13	18	15	15	16	23	18	16	-	-	134	16.8
11	Spain	ES	12	17	14	15	17	23	16	14	-	-	128	16.0
12	Denmark	DK	6	19	14	12	14	23	17	15	-	-	120	15.0
13	Japan	JP	12	16	14	12	13	24	14	14	-	-	119	14.9
14	Netherlands	NL	11	16	14	13	13	21	15	11	-	-	114	14.3
15	Australia	AU	11	14	12	13	13	23	15	12	-	-	113	14.1
16	Bailey 5	ZA	11	10	14	11	13	19	15	13	-	-	106	13.3
16	Monkey Circus	AT	11	13	13	13	8	20	16	12	-	-	106	13.3
18	Canada	CA	11	15	13	11	12	18	12	12	-	-	104	13.0
19	Slovenia	SI	10	12	11	9	9	16	13	11	-	-	91	11.4
20	New Zealand	NZ	8	11	9	7	10	16	10	11	-	-	82	10.3
21	Skyservice	CZ	5	8	9	7	5	11	10	8	-	-	63	7.9
22	Israel	IL	1	3	2	4	4	7	3	4	-	-	28	3.5

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NSL NEWS: How will this affect the XL decision? PETE ALLUM: I would like to think that a decision might not be made on financial grounds. However, it will play some part in the decision. NSL NEWS: We have talked about XL bronze medals over the last six years. Is it possible that other teams than USA or France can win the gold medal, as well?

PETE ALLUM: I think it is a little bit like the 4-minute mile, which was a perceived limit, until Roger Bannister broke this limit. Within a month, many other people also ran sub-4-minute miles. People expect the USA and France to win, and therefore they do not even include the gold medal as a possibility.

NSL NEWS: This was mostly Pete Allum as a competitor. How long have you been coaching FS full time? PETE ALLUM: Since 1993. Before that I still did AFF and tandem. NSL NEWS: Jens Goennemann of the German national 4-way team recently said in an interview that the weather in Central Europe and way of life are in the way for other teams to become world champions in 4-way? Do you think this is true?

PETE ALLUM: He must have said this before the Mondial 2003 where France and Russia won. The possibilities are there for any teams in most places. You may need to move some of your camps when the weather is not so good at home. There are places in Central Europe like Gap, Kassel and Hibaldstow and also wind tunnels opening up. That will give teams the opportunity to train closer to home.

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FAI World Meet 2004			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open		B,P,C,18	9,15,16	K,11,19	E,F,7,5	A,J,21,12	6,4,10	17,Q,L,1	H,14,3	13,22,O	N,M,D,2	Total	Avg
1	DeLand Majik	US	29	23	17	30	18	19	27	21	19	24	227	22.7
2	Maubeuge	FR	28	22	18	30	17	19	23	20	18	24	219	21.9
3	Sky Panthers	RU	24	21	19	25	22	15	28	19	16	22	211	21.1
4	Sinapsi PD	IT	22	21	20	28	21	18	23	19	16	22	210	21.0
5	EADS	DE	20	18	17	24	17	16	19	17	16	19	183	18.3
6	HayaBusa	BE	21	17	17	21	11	16	20	17	17	21	178	17.8
7	Endeavour	CH	16	17	14	19	16	13	19	14	14	-	142	15.8
7	Arcteryx	NO	19	14	15	21	15	13	17	15	13	-	142	15.8
9	Danez	DK	17	16	13	21	11	15	19	15	14	-	141	15.7
10	Spain	ES	19	16	15	21	15	11	16	12	14	-	139	15.4
11	Voodoo	UK	15	14	14	19	15	13	14	12	-	-	116	14.5
12	VNE	UK	15	15	13	18	15	11	14	13	-	-	114	14.3
13	Australia	AU	11	15	13	18	15	13	14	13	-	-	112	14.0
14	Stratosfear	CA	15	14	12	17	13	12	16	12	-	-	111	13.9
15	R-Fource	NL	16	14	13	17	11	10	14	12	-	-	107	13.4
15	Matrix	AT	13	14	13	18	13	13	11	12	-	-	107	13.4
17	New Zealand	NZ	15	14	12	14	13	11	15	12	-	-	106	13.3
18	Croatia	HR	16	11	12	16	13	11	9	10	-	-	98	12.3
19	Slovenia	SI	14	11	10	12	10	9	9	10	-	-	85	10.6
20	Kazakhstan	KZ	5	5	0	6	4	6	5	4	-	-	35	4.4
21	Iceland	IS	2	1	1	3	1	2	4	1	-	-	15	1.9

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NSL NEWS: How about the ways of life and mentalities? PETE ALLUM: I do not think this has any bearing on whether someone becomes a world champion or not. There are South Africans and Brits on current and previous US teams and an Italian on a French team. NSL NEWS: The Danish 4-way team won a bronze medal in 1993 and 1995. They recently launched a new project for world meet medals. Pete Allum is the new national coach. Is the goal a bronze medal or a gold medal?

PETE ALLUM: The objective is to stand on the podium in 2006. NSL NEWS: This answer reminds me on your earlier remark about the 4-minute mile. PETE ALLUM: I have no doubt what this team can achieve. We plan to wear a bright gold medal to match our smiles. NSL NEWS: Will the team members become full-time competitors? PETE ALLUM: The team will make 800 – 1000 jumps each year, up to 2006. Each team member has submitted a plan to demonstrate that they can support themselves and commit the necessary time.

NSL NEWS: If XL continues, there is the possibility that the Danish national coach Pete Allum will have to directly compete with the XL member Pete Allum. How would this work? PETE ALLUM: It would not work out. I would have to make a decision either way. NSL NEWS: What is the more challenging project? PETE ALLUM: One project I know and have done for many years. The other is a new concept, and fortunately I have some time before making this decision. I have always seen my future in coaching, and I have been excited about becoming involved in a project like this for many years. The guys in the team are an inspiration.

NSL NEWS: Thank you for the interview and good luck with either project. PETE ALLUM: Thank you for continuing to sit behind this desk and putting all these hours into FS!

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FAI World Meet 2006			1	2	3	4	5	Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open		N,20,16	K,J,C,G,3	D,19,B,6	L,14,10	F,17,M,2	Total	Avg
1	DeLand Fire	US	20	27	25	17	28	117	23.4
2	Gap Nice Icarius Autrement	FR	17	25	23	21	25	111	22.2
3	Sinapsi PD	IT	19	26	22	19	24	110	22.0
4	Sky Panthers Barkli	RU	21	23	23	17	25	109	21.8
5	Arcteryx	NO	18	25	21	17	24	105	21.0
6	Spa HayaBusa	BE	19	25	18	17	23	102	20.4
7	EADS	DE	17	23	20	16	18	94	18.8
8	Danez	DK	15	22	15	17	21	90	18.0
9	Spain	ES	16	18	17	14	19	84	16.8
9	Evolution	CA	15	14	19	14	22	84	16.8
11	Team 42	SE	13	20	17	14	17	81	16.2
11	British Army	UK	14	21	16	12	18	81	16.2
13	Voodoo	UK	15	20	15	12	18	80	16.0
14	Punky Fish	NL	16	13	17	14	19	79	15.8
15	Airtite	AU	12	17	17	13	17	76	15.2
16	FILA	AT	13	16	16	12	17	74	14.8
17	Japan	JP	12	18	14	12	15	71	14.2
18	CTR Optimum	BR	13	14	14	12	17	70	14.0
19	Sky Service	CZ	12	16	13	11	14	66	13.2
20	Lithuania	LT	9	14	11	9	8	51	10.2
21	New Zealand	NZ	10	11	11	7	11	50	10.0
22	Kazakhstan	KZ	8	6	7	6	13	40	8.0
23	Estonia	EE	4	7	7	7	9	34	6.8
24	Ireland	IE	6	6	7	4	6	29	5.8
25	Cyprus	CY	3	7	7	5	4	26	5.2

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