posted Dec 19th, 1998 - The NSL News mentioned in the first article of the new series of USPA Advanced Class champions that ZSpot from Skydive City won the first USPA Advanced Class medals, even though the 4-way category was not the same in 1998 as it is today. It was much more similar to the current Intermediate Class.

ZSpot moved up into the new Advanced Class of 1999, which was permitted by USPA, as dive pool and rules changed significantly. ZSpot were eventually not far from winning two sets of USPA consecutively after the 3rd place in 1999. Only five points separated the team from the new Advanced Class gold medals that another team of the Florida Skydiving League eventually won (Frost).

ZSpot were not a part of the NSL News updates of teams who won the AA/Intermediate Class and followed with top positions in the AAA/Advanced Class, even though the Skydive City team deserved the attention. Wendy and Mike Hoogsteden, Ellen and Jim Vandevelden, with Paul Fairbanks on camera, did the same between 1998 and 1999 what other USPA Intermediate Class champions had to do ever since: learn and train the complete FAI dive pool after winning the Intermediate Class medals.

ZSpot had the advantage of being familiar with slot-switchers, as all Intermediate Class teams of 1998 were not spared this challenging part of 4-way training and competition. The rules and dive pool for the Intermediate Class were changed for the USPA Nationals 2000. The Advanced Class teams of 1998 and 1999 had all blocks of the complete FAI dive pool in their competition draw and only shorter sequences (3 - 4 points). ZSpot made the NSL News for the first time in December 1998.

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USPA Nationals 1998		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Advanced	5,10	12,C	N,19	F,22	J,17	23,13	E,7	1,14	15,2	L,M,O	Total	Avg
1	ZSpot	9	10	11	9	11	9	16	11	10	14	110	11.0
2	Warp Factor	7	9	12	6	12	9	14	11	10	14	104	10.4
3	Hinckley Mach 5	8	10	9	10	10	5	14	10	8	14	98	9.8
4	Convergence	8	10	10	6	9	9	15	9	8	12	96	9.6
5	Sebastian FM	7	7	8	8	10	9	12	9	9	12	91	9.1
6	Raeford Frigid Air	8	9	5	10	8	7	13	9	8	11	88	8.8
6	Perris Valley TNT	7	8	9	8	10	7	12	9	5	13	88	8.8
8	Animosity	9	9	10	8	9	5	9	8	7	13	87	8.7
9	Mr. Burble	7	8	7	8	11	8	14	7	8	8	86	8.6
10	Flaming Sirens	8	9	8	8	10	6	10	8	7	11	85	8.5
11	Sonic Force	7	8	9	4	11	8	11	8	8	10	84	8.4
11	Pincheck	3	10	8	3	11	9	12	9	7	12	84	8.4
13	Elsinore Out of the Blue	7	7	8	8	10	6	13	7	7	10	83	8.3
14	Fourth Dimension	8	8	4	9	12	8	14	3	6	10	82	8.2
15	Morning Wood	7	7	6	5	11	7	12	7	5	9	76	7.6
16	Hinckley Air Havoc	7	4	6	7	8	7	12	9	8	6	74	7.4
17	Flash Point	7	7	7	8	11	6	9	5	5	8	73	7.3
18	Present & Grip	3	7	10	6	7	3	11	6	6	10	69	6.9
19	4ce Majeure	4	5	8	4	9	6	9	7	6	10	68	6.8
20	Natty Dreads	5	2	6	8	8	7	11	5	5	9	66	6.6
21	Arizona Fast Track	5	5	8	6	8	4	8	7	6	8	65	6.5
22	Entropy	5	9	8	7	11	1	11	7	-	-	59	7.4
23	Short Bus Kids	7	9	5	7	4	7	11	7	-	-	57	7.1
23	Relativity	6	7	1	5	5	4	8	6	5	10	57	5.7
25	Aerodrome Ablation	2	5	6	5	6	0	9	3	4	2	42	4.2

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NSL News on 19 December 1998: Skydive City in Florida has developed a very progressive team training environment

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Zephyrhills, with its well known and popular load organizing service, has always been known as the fun-jumping center of the world, while there was not much of any serious team business. General Manager TK Hayes decided to change this image and sent the ZBoyz out to compete at the Florida Skydiving League meets, in order to become a host of FSL meets.

At the same time, he began to encourage his local skydivers to do some 4-way at Skydive City. Due to the handicap system of the first season, the casual ZBoyz won the FSL Championship title of 1997 and set an example for other Z-Hills locals.

For the second FSL season, ZSpot signed up, as well, and competed with the ZBoyz for the local top position. ZSpot initiated even more local team business by winning the Advanced Class title at the USPA Nationals 1998. The next two local teams began with training, Vertical Vixens and ZForce, and they are now ready to start the FSL 1999 season, and Skydive City will finally compete with three local teams at the FSL 1999.

There are even more strong competitors from Skydive City: Lilac Hayes is a 4NB member, Ron Hill and Sally Hathaway were with Frost at the U.S. Nationals 1998, and Robert Healy competed with Tetrad. This means that Skydive City has in fact the most active 4-way community in Florida. That's quite impressive for a "fun-jumping" place...

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Florida Skydiving League May 2000		1	2	3	4	5	6	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class	O,10,18	A,G,4,11	6,15,22	2,9,1	16,P,J,K	21,L,D,13	Total	Avg
1	DeLand PD Blue	16	18	15	22	21	18	110	18.3
2	Optik Nerve	12	13	12	15	15	13	80	13.3
3	Tonic	12	13	9	12	14	13	73	12.2
4	Teiwaz	12	14	11	12	12	11	72	12.0
4	DeLand Chain Gang	9	11	12	16	15	9	72	12.0
6	DeLand PD Gold	12	12	9	13	14	8	68	11.3
7	Skydive America EH	9	11	9	12	12	13	66	11.0
8	DeLand Tunnel Rage	9	4	3	13	13	-	42	8.4
Rank	A Class	O,12	A,G,J	6,7	2,K	18,P	21,L	Total	Avg
1	No Points	3	3	5	2	3	3	19	3.2

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ZSpot did not come back after winning at the USPA Nationals in 1998 and the 3rd place a year later. However, new Florida Skydiving League teams picked up the ball and won 4-way medals at the next USPA Nationals, Frost (Advanced) and Tonic (Intermediate) in 1999, DeLand Tunnel Rage (Intermediate) and Teiwaz (Advanced) in 2000. Shaft (Intermediate) and Optic Nerve (Advanced) both finished 2nd in 2001.

The first previously unpublished leaderboard of the Florida Skydiving League in May 2000 is showing most of the reigning and future USPA champions. The related NSL News update introduces Sebastian Tonic who had won the first official USPA Intermediate Class title in 1999.

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NSL News on 30 May 2000: Tonic passed the 12.0 level

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Hard work, persistence and continuity will be rewarded some day, and team Tonic is the best current example. Last year's Intermediate Class gold medal winner at the USPA Nationals have been aiming for the 12.0 average for a while, team member Bob Schindler commented: "It was about time", Schindler said. Tonic are in the team's third year of competing in the Florida Skydiving League. In 1998, the team did not go to the USPA Nationals. They had not trained very much, and most of the team members had just made the change from recreational skydiving to competition.

However, Tonic made serious plans for 1999. A consistent progression, directed by coach Craig Buxton, moved Tonic up to an 11.8 average and the gold medal at the USPA Nationals on their home turf in Sebastian. Before the nationals, Tonic had attended eleven meets of the Florida Skydiving League, competing in the Open/Advanced Class. Stepping down to the Intermediate Class at the nationals gave them additional mental strength to win the competition.

To get ready for the USPA Nationals 2000 Tonic will now have to remain in the Open/Advanced Class throughout the FSL 2000 season, after winning the Intermediate Class last year. However, it looks as if Tonic may still have a shot at medals in this category. The retired team ZSpot showed earlier how this works: ZSpot won the Intermediate Class in 1998, then won bronze medals at the USPA Nationals 1999. The tough competition in Florida is pushing the teams consistently to higher levels. This year, Tonic, Teiwaz, Chain Gang and DeLand PD Gold have been chasing each other at each meet, not looking at the handicap. Even the new FSL team Skydive America EH is slowly making it up to this group of challengers, and all of these teams are eying Optic Nerve a few steps ahead of them for the opportunity to catch up.

The FSL 2000 season will continue to bring excitement and more fun for the teams. With an average competition draw, Tonic put a 12.2 on the scoreboard in Pahokee. For Tim Taylor, Nick Cullison, Robert Schindler and John David, this is the highest average in team history, including earlier scores in the Intermediate Class. It will probably not be the highest for this season.