posted Nov 19th, 2022 - The most recent NSL News update that covered Skydive Midwest NEXT's changes in the lineup for 2023 coincided with SDC Rhythm XP's first outdoor training with the new lineup at Skydive Sebastian. The NEXT update related much to the goals that both teams share: get closer to the world's 4-way top level, which is currently represented by Arizona Airspeed.

Skydive Midwest NEXT are fully turning to indoor training in the winter, while SDC Rhythm XP keep switching back and forth between outdoor winter training in Sebastian and indoor training at Paraclete XP. The NSL News has made several field trips to Sebastian in the past years when the opportunity of meeting Rhythm in training occurred.

The next 2-hour road trip from DeLand to Sebastian happened just a day after the NEXT update, which included an overview of the athletic relationship between the two U.S. teams, mostly from the perspective of the Midwest team. This time, it is the Rhythm perspective that gets the main attention.

Four members of the current lineup (Charlie McGee, Doug Barron, Chris Webb, Steve Loufek) could present the Rhythm perspective by themselves in the newest NSL Live Talk conversation. The wind had picked up in the afternoon, and the skydiving operation was over at the time of the interview. Unfortunately, the wind was also strong enough to interfere with the audio quality. It requires great attention to the video at times to catch the whole conversation.

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NSL Live Talk with SDC Rhythm XP on 17 November 2022 at Skydive Sebastian

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SDC Rhythm XP's lineup continuity since 2007

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One of the main purposes of the new NSL Live Talk with SDC Rhythm XP was the introduction of new team member Steve Loufek. The NEXT update by the NSL News hinted already in the headline ("Did you know that Skydive Midwest NEXT and SDC Rhythm XP continue with new lineups?") that both teams were in a similar situation at the end of the 2022 season.

The continuity charts of the lineups are showing that both teams are going into re-starts, NEXT with three new members, including the camera slot, Rhythm with only one new member, as Steve Loufek replaces Carl Kallgren in the point slot.

Both teams did not need much time to find the right candidates. Slots in the best U.S. teams behind Arizona Airspeed have been very popular. They have been stepping stones towards the next open Airspeed slots, or to a world championship with SDC Rhythm XP. Katie Healy, Brian Nasset (NEXT) and Steve Loufek (Rhythm) are the next U.S. competitors who switch from recreational 4-way and 8-way training and competition to a full-time commitment.

Steve Loufek is not really part of a new generation of Formation Skydiving competitors, as he started jumping in 2003 at Cross Keys. He took a long 6-year break after the first few years in the sport though and came back very strongly in 2012.

USPA Nationals 2022		1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Advanced	G,9,M,8		P,3,O,E		7,13,18		B,21,Q,14		20,L,2		D,1,A,19		5,11,15		10,17,N		F,C,K,H,22		12,J,16		Total	Avg
1	RhEvolution XP	19		19		15		16	-1	11	-2	13	-2	12		13		19		14		151	15.1
2	AZ Alpha	20	-1	18	-1	14		15	-1	12		14	-2	13		11	-2	16	-2	14		147	14.7
3	SDC Rhuthless	18		15	-2	14		15		11	-1	15		12		12		18		13		143	14.3
4	CK Flying Dogs	16		19		12		13	-1	11		14		12		12		16	-1	11		136	13.6
5	Air Force 9-Ball	16	-1	15	-2	14		15	-1	11	-1	13	-1	10		12	-1	13	-2	14		133	13.3
6	Air Force Night Fury	15	-2	16	-1	11	-2	15	-1	12	-1	16	-1	6		7	-4	18	-1	10	-1	126	12.6
7	Elsinore Main Street	13	-2	15		10	-1	12	-1	11		14		11		9	-2	16		9	-1	120	12.0
8	Perris Bing Bong	15	-1	16		12		12	-2	11	-1	12	-2	5		10	-2	15	-2	11		119	11.9
9	This is our Season	13	-3	10	-4	12		14		9	-2	13	-1	9		13	-1	16	-1	9	-2	118	11.8
10	4s of NotSure	13	-1	12	-1	9	-2	13		11		10	-2	9		11		16	-1	11		115	11.5
11	Platinum XP	12	-2	13		11		11	-1	11		11	-1	8		10		14		11	-1	112	11.2
12	Air Force Zorro	13	-2	12	-3	10	-1	12	-1	9	-1	12	-2	7		11		12	-3	9	-2	107	10.7
13	Paragon	4	-6	9	-2	8		9		8		6	-1	8		7		10	-1	5	-1	74	7.4
14	La Playa	6	-2	6	-2	6	-1	8		6		3	-3	5		6	-1	5	-2	6		57	5.7
15	Tummy Team	6		1	-3	2	-2	4	-1	3	-2	4	-1	5		4	-1	5	-1	3	-1	37	3.7

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Steve Loufek with Blood on the Glass at SkyVenture New Hampshire, CK Flying Dogs and The Gr8 Rhevival at the USPA Nationals 2022 - Video Footage Courtesy of USPA/InTime

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Steve Loufek connected with future team mates at Cross Keys and The Ranch, and he also competed in 2020 with RRR/A Class team Blood on the Glass at Ben Liston's 4-way indoor competition at SkyVenture New Hampshire.

This year, Steve Loufek came back to his Cross Keys roots when he joined forces with David Grabowski and Andre Van Heerden, Christopher Diamantes and Anthony Cernera on camera, for a year with CK Flying Dogs. The Cross Keys team finished in 4th place on the AAA/Advanced Class leaderboard and convinced the judges with the cleanest performance of all teams in this category.

Steve Loufek also competed in 8-way Advanced at this year's national championships, and he won USPA silver medals with The Gr8 Rhevival. Doug Barron said that he has had his eyes on Steve Loufek for a while, after meeting him at several other skydiving events before. He and his current Rhythm team mates did not need much of a tryout procedure to offer Steve Loufek the open slot.

Interestingly enough, Steve Loufek was in the same Rhevival 8-way lineup together with Katie Healy. They probably did not know about their next slots when they stood next to each other in the front line as the team picture was taken at the USPA Nationals. They had been opponents in 4-way Advanced before the 8-way competition began, Steve Loufek with CK Flying Dogs, Katie Healy with 4s of NotSure. Now they will go back to opposing each other - on a significantly higher level in 4-way Open.