posted Jul 2nd, 2021 - The A Class has received special attention by the NSL News since its inclusion in the USPA Nationals as the Beginners Class test event this year. Several stories explained the history of the category and the reasons for USPA's decision to give it a place at the national championships.

Rank	Teams Outdoor A Class		Average
1	Paranodon Futura 3	DE	11.4
2	Bellas	AU	8.0
2	Where's Gabby?	US	8.0
4	Flat Curve	AU	7.9
4	Eggplant	US	7.9
6	Spinny Things	AU	7.1
7	The John Denver Experience	AU	7.0
8	Airborne Contagion	AU	6.9
9	Toxic Lead	US	6.8
10	Defence Cunji Slams	AU	6.7

The athletic part of the new USPA category has naturally been a part of just as many updates, as teams across the United States have been competing in the A Class for many years, and scores and videos have been posted on a regular basis. The A Class has also been used in other countries for years.

However, the inclusion in the USPA Nationals has made A Class teams and their results even more relevant and also more competitive, even though it is the Beginners Class in USPA terminology. In fact, the same A Class has been named the Beginners Class in Germany too, where the category was also added to the national championships years ago.

British Skydiving went even a step further and adopted the Rookie Class many years ago. The events of the United Kingdom Skydiving League and the national championships both have medals for A Class and Rookie Class teams. The outdoor season is in full swing by now, and it is time to take a closer look at the A Class results this year so far, in the runup to the first USPA Nationals with competition in three of the four NSL categories.

Rank	Teams Outdoor A Class		Average
11	Patient Zero	US	6.2
12	Gummy Bears	US	6.0
13	Perris Chutists	US	5.6
13	D.a.Danielson	US	5.6
15	Dallas Distraction	US	5.5
15	What's Next?	AU	5.5
17	Speed Flaps	AU	5.2
18	Sons of Zeus	UK	4.8
18	Milly's Mower	AU	4.8
20	Purple	US	4.7
20	Anion Flux	US	4.7
20	Contagion Equation	AU	4.7
23	CSC Constellation	US	4.5
24	The Fomites	AU	4.1
25	Mom x S3	US	3.5
26	Fly4Cuautla	MX	3.0
26	Paranodon Futura 4	DE	3.0
28	Team Lago	US	2.5
28	Couch Freaks	US	2.5
30	Never Surrender	MX	2.0
30	Unicorn Surprise	US	2.0
32	Spacejammers	US	1.8
33	SNEaking Points	US	1.7
33	Flying Mamacitas	MX	1.7
35	Spank'Em	US	1.2
35	Taupo B Team	NZ	1.2
37	Carolina Airspeed	US	1.0
38	The Wuhan Bats	AU	0.7
39	Fat Dumb & Happy	AU	0.5

The Top 10 rankings include three U.S. teams behind the leader from Germany, Paranodon Futura 3, who posted their 11.4 average at the Paranodon Cup last month.

Futura 3 plan to win the German A Class title at the national championships early in September.

Where's Gabby have the current top spot of the U.S. teams and share the 2nd place with Australia's Bellas.

Where's Gabby also have a 7.8 average in the team records that is not listed in the A Class rankings, as it was posted with a different lineup in the AA Class competition of the Arizona Skydiving League's March meet.

However, ASL team Eggplant is probably the strongest A Class team in the Unites States at the moment. Eggplant has completed three meets, and the scoring progression (6.2 - 8.5 - 9.0) peaked with the new 9.0 record average at the recent ASL meet just a week ago.

Teams from Australia have the strongest presence in the Top 10. Six teams posted their scores and averages at the national championships in March. Several U.S. teams, beginning with Toxic Lead in the Top 10, are then lined up behind in a very tight group.

There are still several meets scheduled in the NSL Network before the USPA Nationals, and many more A Class scores will be added. The current A Class rankings are promising a great competition for the first USPA medals in this category in October.