posted Nov 25th, 2022 - The most recent Indoor Cloud League updates from iFLY Colorado Springs mentioned that former Arizona Airspeed member Ari Perelman has been back in 4-way action in support of Emily Bombardi's and Eric Daniel's ICL team. He participated last month for the first time when he was in the AAA/AA/A Class lineup for October.

His comeback actually happened earlier, as the NSL News mentioned on September 28th. He had also competed with Emily Bombardi and Eric Daniel for This is our Season in the AAA/Advanced Class of the USPA Nationals 2022. Steven Thoene completed the lineup at Skydive Chicago in September, with Amanda Echevarria on camera.

Ari Perelman was eligible for USPA's Advanced Class competition with This is our Season, even though he had won the USPA 4-way Open Class championship title twice (2017, 2018). The USPA rules allow one team member in the lineup who has won USPA titles before, as the USPA's Competition Manual defines the situation:

"No team in any Advanced or Intermediate Class (4-way and 8-way FS, 2-way MFS, 4-way VFS, etc.) may be composed of more than one quarter of members who have won a gold medal in that class at the five previous USPA National Skydiving Championships or won a medal in a higher class at the five previous USPA National Skydiving Championships or in the same event at an FAI First Category Event; the videographer shall not be considered when applying this rule."

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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This Is Our Season at the USPA Nationals 2022 - Video Footage Courtesy of USPA/InTime

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Ari Perelman did not only win USPA gold medals in 4-way Open twice. He was also in Arizona Airspeed's lineup (Niklas Hemlin, Mikhail Markine, Thiago Gomes, David French on camera) who challenged the historic NMP PCH HayaBusa lineup (Dennis Praet, Jeroen Nollet, David and Andy Grauwels, Luc Van Britsom on camera) to the limits at the FAI Outdoor World Meet 2018 in Australia.

Arizona Airspeed's 2018 lineup and NMP PCH HayaBusa pushed each other to previously unseen performance levels, first in Dubai 2012 (279 - 278), then again in Australia 2018 (279 - 277).

The Belgian 4-way world champions of 2014, 2016, 2018, 2021 even increased the highest 10-round average in history (28.9) once at the USPA Nationals 2019 with the same lineup, while Arizona Airspeed did not continue without changes. In fact, Airspeed's new lineup allowed SDC Rhythm XP to take the U.S. top spot at the same event and missed the next world meet in Tanay 2021.

Ari Perelman trained and competed with Arizona Airspeed only in 2017 and 2018, when the team caught up with NMP PCH HayaBusa, after an 8-point difference (262 - 254) in Ottawa 2016. Both teams pushed each other back to the highest scoring level in history at that time, and Airspeed were back down to 26.2 when NMP PCH HayaBusa set new standards at the USPA Nationals 2019.

FAI Dubai Mondial 2012			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open - Top 10		5,12,E		6,D,B,K		O,8,7		N,13,18		10,21,M		19,H,11		C,G,1,A		20,9,15		16,F,P,Q		2,J,4		Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	US	27		34		27	-1	22		23		23	-2	32		25		40		26		279	27.9
2	NMP-PCH Hayabusa	BE	25	-1	34	-2	27	-1	21	-1	23		24	-1	32	-1	27		40		25	-1	278	27.8
3	Aerodyne Aerokart	FR	26		30	-2	27		21		23		25		29	-1	23	-2	37		24		265	26.5
4	Evolution	CA	22		31		24		17	-1	19	-1	21		28		22		30	-2	22		236	23.6
5	Sky Panthers Barkli	RU	19	-2	29	-1	22	-1	21		21		18	-2	28		20	-2	35		20	-1	233	23.3
6	Satori	UK	18		26		21		17		15	-3	18	-1	23		17		27		18		200	20.0
7	eX3MO	IT	17	-1	24	-2	20		14		17		19		22		18	-1	28	-1	-		179	19.9
8	Paratec-Saar	DE	18		26		21		13		14	-2	16	-1	21	-3	18		30	-1	-		177	19.7
9	Rotor Out	AU	14	-2	25	-1	18	-1	15		17		18		22	-1	17		28		-		174	19.3
10	Bardagi	SE	17		26		20		14		16		15	-2	23		17	-2	24	-2	-		172	19.1

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Arizona Airspeed - NMP PCH HayaBusa at the FAI Dubai Mondial 2012 - Video Footage Courtesy of FAI/Skydive Dubai

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Ari Perelman took a long break after his two years with Arizona Airspeed and the journey from the 13.5 average with Arizona ZULU at the USPA Nationals 2016 to the 27.7 at the world championship in 2018.

The break was so long that he was almost outside of USPA's 5-year time-frame for a player-coach of his caliber. However, This is our Season could invite him as the only previous 4-way champion, and the Indoor Cloud League has no rules for player-coaches in the AAA and AA categories.

Ari Perelman enjoyed his comeback, and the growing 4-way community in Colorado, guided by his team mates Emily Bombardi and Eric Daniel at the USPA Nationals, might be able to benefit even more from his wealth of experiences in the near future:

"I had a great time coming out of retirement and competing in 4-way at the USPA Nationals. Thanks to my team mates Emily Bombardi, Mandy Echevarria, Eric Daniel and Steve Thoene. Nice work and great job getting the highscore in Round 8! Special thanks to Cookie Helmets, Performance Designs and Vigil AAD for helping me to get all my gear together and get back in the air. Great to see everyone out there and looking forward to next year!"

FAI Outdoor World Meet 2018			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open - Top 10		21,L,B,G		22,18,17		19,7,O		J,16,12		10,A,D,15		Q,M,F,C,N		H,20,P,13		6,14,11		E,2,5		4,1,3		Total	Avg
1	NMP-PCH Hayabusa	BE	32		21		27	-2	24		22	-3	62	-2	22	-2	20	-1	27	-1	22		279	27.9
2	Arizona Airspeed	US	26	-5	21		27	-1	24		24	-1	60	-1	26		22		27		20		277	27.7
3	Aerodyne Realfly	FR	29	-1	19		24	-2	23		24		52	-3	20	-3	17	-3	24		19		251	25.1
4	Qatar Tigers	QA	24	-2	14	-1	24	-1	21		22		53	-4	21	-1	18		20		17		234	23.4
5	Echochamber	SE	25	-1	16		21	-1	17	-2	20	-1	48	-4	14	-3	18		21	-1	15	-1	215	21.5
6	Amnesya	IT	24	-2	14		20	-1	18		18	-1	48	-5	18		14	-2	21	-1	15		210	21.0
7	Satori XL	UK	21		14	-1	21		19		19		37	-3	19		17		18	-1	16	-1	201	20.1
7	Airheads	CH	22	-3	14	-2	19	-2	17	-1	18		44		16		16	-2	18	-1	17		201	20.1
9	Evolution	CA	21	-1	13	-2	22		18	-1	15	-3	43	-2	15	-5	15	-2	19		15		196	19.6
10	Airbus FSZ Saar	DE	21	-1	14	-1	17	-5	17		16	-1	45	-1	15	-3	14	-1	18	-1	15		192	19.2

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NMP PCH HayaBusa - Arizona Airspeed at the FAI Outdoor World Meet 2018 - Video Footage Courtesy of FAI/InTime

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