posted Sep 23rd, 2021 - The NSL News had the complete current lineup of Arizona Airspeed available for NSL Live Talk several times since it was formed for the new Airspeed 4-way cycle, beginning with the 2020 season.

Usually the conversations are taking place when NSL News and Airspeed visit the same events. However, NSL Live Talk eventually had to adjust to the realities of the corona virus crisis, as well, and many of the interviews were recorded on Zoom. They were still live and unfiltered, even though the actual live atmosphere was surely different.

It seems unlikely that the logistics of NSL Live Talk at events could somehow be easier to accomplish, even though there is some truth to it.

The management of online interviews has its own and different challenges, as individual and team agendas need to be considered, and technology plays a role, as well.

Arizona Airspeed have recently been in 4-way training for the USPA Nationals 2021 next month in Eloy. Niklas Hemlin and Joey Marshall took some extra time when the training camp was completed and had some updates and insights for the NSL News audience.

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NSL Live Talk with Niklas Hemlin and Joey Marshall

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FAI Tanay Mondial 2020			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		Total	Avg
Rank	8-way Open		O,19,Q,5		17,B,E,P		H,15,12		M,N,7,F		K,L,C,4		J,18,16		1,9,A		Total	Avg
1	Airspeed XP8	US	20		23		22	-1	23		31	-1	23		24		166	23.7
2	France National 8-way	FR	20		23		25		24		26	-1	25	-1	22	-1	165	23.6
3	Tanay 8	RU	18		21	-1	20		23		26		23		22		153	21.9
4	Qatar Falcons	QA	17		17		19		18		22		19	-1	19		131	18.7
5	Kazakhstan	KZ	5		9		6	-2	10		7	-1	12	-1	12		61	8.7
6	Belarus	BY	4	-1	6		4	-2	5	-2	7		8	-1	2	-1	36	5.1

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It was an interesting combination of Airspeed members. Niklas Hemlin (Outside Center) and Joey Marshall (Point) are the front piece of the current lineup and spend a lot of time together, in freefall and on the ground. They were separated though by the plans for the FAI Tanay Mondial 2020.

Returning Airspeed members Niklas Hemlin and Mikhail Markine had also joined the Airspeed XP8 lineup after the USPA Nationals 2019, as they explained on 27 November 2019. The ASXP8 training took place without the two new members, Joey Marshall and Chris Kuhlmann.

This situation changed when Matt Davidson had to withdraw from 8-way training and competition earlier this year. ASXP8 needed an adequate substitute very quickly, and they tried out several candidates to fill the slot for the 8-way thriller at the world meet.

Chris Kuhlmann eventually took the 8-way point slot, as previous alternate Andrew Happick competed with SDC Rhythm XP in Tanay. Chris Kuhlmann was familiar with 8-way training and competition, after his experiences with the XP8 lineup of 2019. He had won the USPA Nationals and the 8-way qualification for the world meet, and he competed with XP8 at the FAI Outdoor World Cup 2019.

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USPA Nationals 2019			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	8-way Open		13,16,20		C,B,M,D,1		N,Q,17,D		5,L,E,21		P,15,12		14,4,22		10,O,9		F,19,8		11,7,18		2,6,A		Total	Avg
1	Tanay 8	RU	20		23		23		19		26		21		17		16	-1	17	-1	19		201	20.1
2	XP8	US	19	-1	24		22		19		24		20		17		16	-1	17	-1	19		197	19.7
3	Golden Knights	US	18	-1	23		17	-5	18	-1	24		19	-1	16		17		18	-1	19		189	18.9
4	Arizona Airspeed	US	16	-2	21		21		17		18	-2	19	-1	16		15		15	-2	16		174	17.4
5	Amphibious Attack Tigers	US	9		13		12		12		13		9	-1	10		11		8	-2	10		107	10.7
6	SDC Rhythm 9 XP	US	12		10	-2	9	-3	10	-1	11		12		10		9		11		10		104	10.4
7	Monster Mix	US	7	-4	10		9		9		9	-1	10	-1	9		9		8		9		89	8.9
8	Perris Riot!	US	9		7	-2	8		8		8	-1	9		9		9		9		7	-1	83	8.3
9	Fusion XP	US	7		8	-1	8	-1	9	-1	9		10		6	-1	7		7	-2	9		80	8.0
10	Lite 8	US	7		4	-2	6		6		4	-1	6	-1	6		4		5		7		55	5.5

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Paraclete XP8 at the USPA Nationals 2019 - Video Footage Courtesy of USPA/OmniSkore!HD

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Chris Kuhlmann's short 8-way career seemed to be over when his new 4-way team mates Niklas Hemlin and Mikhail Markine, and also Matt Davidson, replaced him, Andrew Happick and Steve Lefkowitz for the new Airspeed XP8 lineup. ASXP8 then trained and competed in 2020 and 2021 until Matt Davidson had to withdraw in the final stage of world meet preparations. Chris Kuhlmann was now together with Niklas Hemlin and Mikhail Markine in 8-way, as well, in a new slot and to compete at the world meet that he had qualified for.

Only Joey Marshall had to stay at home when his team mates competed in Tanay, and he explained during the NSL Live Talk yesterday how he followed the action.

The recent SDC Rhythm XP announcement of a major change was naturally another topic of the conversation with Niklas Hemlin and Joey Marshall. Niklas Hemlin instantly encouraged young and talented 4-way competitors to get in touch with Doug Barron, who will re-build the Rhythm lineup.

Joey Marshall reflected on the challenging transition from being a recreational 4-way competitor to the professional level. He thinks that it requires all attention and a full-hearted change of lifestyle to become a world champions in any sport. He remembered his own transition, which was all the more challenging, as it happened just at the beginning of the corona virus crisis. He took the chance and switched into a very unknown world that has still not gone back to where it was before...