posted Apr 3rd, 2021 - The Arizona Skydiving League League had a much earlier restart than the Carolina Skydiving League will have. Eliana Rodriguez and Michelle Karamon offered the monthly events at Skydive Arizona again beginning in December 2020.

In fact, the weather in Arizona does not really invite skydiving in the extremely hot summer months. Even under regular circumstances ASL teams and organizers take a summer break, as the 2021 schedule is showing, as well.

The different climate will have teams and competitors in Arizona complete their 4th ASL meet in May this year, just when the Carolina Skydiving League launches their restart next month.

Eliana Rodriguez and Michelle Karamon completed their ASL March meet with four teams in three categories. AZ Defiance have neither missed an ASL meet this year nor in 2020, and they were back once again on the AAA Class leaderboard. Where's Gabby? was a new team name on the AA Class leaderboard. The A Class had a duel between two teams, the ASL regulars of Eggplant and new team Purple. Eliana Rodriguez pointed out that she and Michelle Karamon welcomed three new ASL competitors: Gabby Pisano from Colorado, with a total of 60 jumps, her team mate Steve Ivy from Arizona, and Josh Radcliff from Texas.

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Arizona Skydiving League March 2021		1		2		3		4		5		6		Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class	11,10,22		16,H,D,8		13,5,F		A,9,2		Q,14,J,P		B,19,G,7		Total	Avg
1	AZ Defiance	8	-2	11	-1	11		14		10		14		68	11.3
Rank	AA Class	11,22		H,D,8		13,F,P		A,9,2		Q,14,J		B,19,G		Total	Avg
1	Where's Gabby?	6		9		9		9		6		-		39	7.8
Rank	A Class	K,C,2		H,D,8		F,P,G		A,9		Q,J,E		B,19		Total	Avg
1	Eggplant 21.1	6		5	-1	7		6		7		-		31	6.2
2	Purple	3		6		5		-		-		-		14	4.7

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The A Class leaderboard, where Eggplant and Purple posted their scores and exchanged highscores, is not new for the Arizona Skydiving League teams and competitors. The category has been offered at ASL events since the league was launched as a part of the Southwest Skydiving League in 2004.

The Southwest Skydiving League eventually split into the California Skydiving League and the Arizona Skydiving League. Both leagues then continued to use all four NSL 4-way categories (AAA - AA - A - Rookie RRR).

Eliana Rodriguez and Michelle Karamon continued with the same format when they restarted the Arizona Skydiving League in January 2019. Most of the monthly ASL meets had teams competing in the A Class.

One of the teams was Eggplant, who put their first lineup together when Eliana Rodriguez and Michelle Karamon organized the comeback of the Arizona Skydiving League. Eggplant attended nine of the eleven ASL meets in 2019 and slowed down in 2020, with two meets on their Eloy home turf, including the 4-Way FS Skydiving Championships in November.

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Southwest Skydiving League June 2004		1	2	3	4	5	6	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class	L,11,10	18,4,C	12,2,8	B,D,21,Q	6,P,7	13,F,H,N	Total	Avg
1	Arizona Blade	15	14	13	20	19	20	101	16.8
2	Perris Schoolboys	14	14	13	22	17	20	100	16.7
3	Elsinore GT	13	13	10	18	16	16	86	14.3
4	Elsinore Satori	13	0	11	18	17	17	76	12.7
5	Perris Jamba	9	11	10	14	14	15	73	12.2
6	Elsinore Adrenaline	12	11	9	14	14	10	70	11.7
7	Perris Katalyst III	7	11	9	13	12	12	64	10.7
8	No Pressure	5	7	6	10	9	6	43	7.2
Rank	AA Class	L,11,15	18,4	2,8	B,D,21	6,P,7	13,F,H	Total	Avg
1	Perris Pending	8	6	7	10	10	12	53	8.8
2	Elsinore Equinox	8	6	8	11	9	7	49	8.2
3	Elsinore Fuse	7	2	7	7	7	7	37	6.2
4	Arizona Divewerkz	6	6	5	8	5	6	36	6.0
5	Perris-Ites	5	7	5	7	7	4	35	5.8
Rank	A Class	L,7	M,4	2,8	B,D,21	6,P	Q,F,H	Total	Avg
1	Evolution FST	8	7	5	7	7	12	46	7.7
2	Elsinore Fury	4	2	3	4	4	4	21	3.5
3	Elsinore Tent Trash	2	2	0	5	3	7	19	3.2

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Eggplant have moved back and forth between A and AA Class competition draws. In fact, the different lineups attended seven of their twelve meets in the A Class. The other five times they posted their scores on AA Class leaderboards.

They used both categories in turns in 2019 and then competed in the AA Class only at the two meets in 2020. Last month Eggplant was back in the A Class at their first meet of the ASL 2021 season.

This year, all teams visiting Skydive Arizona for the USPA Nationals in October will have the same opportunity. The NSL News reported on May 13th that USPA introduces a new 4-way category this year at the national championships, which is identical with the A Class. Steve Hubbard, USPA Director of Competition, and Kirk Verner, National Board Director and Chair of the Competition Committee, provided more information during the NSL Live Talk at the Paraclete XP Indoor Championship.

Teams like Eggplant, who may feel more comfortable with the limited dive pool of the A Class (all random formations, eight blocks), will be able to compete at the USPA Nationals without having to move up into the more challenging AA Class and 16 blocks. However, Eggplant will probably make this call after knowing who of the currently 22 team members will compete on home turf in October...

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Arizona Skydiving League March 2019		1		2		3		4		5		6		Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class	9,17,11		E,12,2		22,18,13		C,8,N,7		14,G,A,19		D,J,H,M,Q		Total	Avg
1	AZ Crime	12		11		9		10	-1	10	-1	23		75	12.5
2	AZ Defiance	7	-1	11		7	-1	13		10		18	-4	66	11.0
3	Wombat Combat	9		9		8		11		7		12	-4	56	9.3
Rank	AA Class	9,11		E,13,2		22,18		C,8,N		14,G,A		D,J,H,M		Total	Avg
1	Perry's Pals	9		9		8		8	-1	8	-1	12	-2	54	9.0
Rank	A Class	9,N		E,2		M,4		C,8		G,A,O		D,J,H		Total	Avg
1	JR Squid Squad	9	-1	8		6	-1	7		9		9	-1	48	8.0
2	Eggplant	8		7		7	-1	1	-3	8		6		37	6.2
Rank	Rookie	N,F,D		E,P,J		M,B,K		C,L,Q		G,A,O		D,J,H		Total	Avg
1	It'll Be Fine	3		4		5		3		1		-		16	3.2

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