posted Sep 14th, 2023 - Gary Smith was one of the most successful 4-way competitors in the sport, with two world championship titles of 2004 and 2006 under his belt. He started his career as a coach while he was still competing and has been just as successful with his job.

He guided NMP PCH HayaBusa to the team's first world championship title in Prostejov 2014 and helped to defend the 4-way title in 2016, 2018 and 2021. He knows the Belgian team and their history better than anybody else, even though he has been a full-time coach for Qatar's Formation Skydiving delegation for several years.

The new NSL Live Talk with Gary Smith follows up on the conversation that the NSL News had in Norway with both Qatar coaches, Gary Smith and Luc Verstrepen, together with Solly Williams in the NSL Coaches Corner on August 23rd. It was not known at that time that HayaBusa member Michele Silvi would leave the team after the completion of the outdoor world cup.

Gary Smith was still working with the Belgian world champions when Michele Silvi joined the team in the summer of 2019. David Grauwels had left his inside center slot and switched to camera after winning his 3rd world championship title in Australia 2018, and Michele Silvi replaced him to win the next FAI gold medals for NMP PCH HayaBusa in Tanay 2021.

Belgian/Dutch Outdoor Nationals 2023			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class		3,E,B,18		21,A,P,13		O,22,Q,1		9,D,10		16,M,17		J,14,4		12,H,N,15		8,G,6		19,K,C,5		F,20,2		Total	Avg
1	Out Of The Blue	NL	18		20		15	-3	19		18		16		16	-1	16		20		19		177	17.7
2	Qatar Lions	QA	16	-2	18	-1	18		19	-1	21		16	-1	13	-2	16		18	-2	18	-1	173	17.3
3	Qatar Cheetahs	QA	16	-2	17	-1	17		17	-1	18	-1	17		14	-1	16		18		16	-2	166	16.6
4	Chaotic Motion VIXX	NL	17		17		17		16	-1	17		14		15		16		18		17	-1	164	16.4
5	AYRO	BE	17	-1	19		14	-1	18		16		15		16		15	-1	14	-1	16	-1	160	16.0
6	Falco	BE	15	-1	18		16		17		18		14		14		14		15	-2	18		159	15.9
7	Family Flash	BE	13		14		14		13		14		12		11	-1	12		14	-1	13	-1	130	13.0
8	LUX	NL	11		14		13		14		13		12		12		12		13		14		128	12.8
9	Phoenix	BE	12		15		13		13		10		10		12		14		13		9		121	12.1
10	Full Flow	BE	12		13		12		11		13		11		12		11		12		12		119	11.9
11	Aquila	NL	8		12		8		10		11		11		9		11		9		12		101	10.1
12	Shinobi	NL	8		11		8		9		10		8		7		9		7		11		88	8.8

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Out Of The Blue - Qatar Lions - Qatar Cheetahs at the Belgian/Dutch Outdoor Nationals 2023

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Gary Smith's insights and thoughts of the recent changes in the HayaBusa lineup were only a part of the NSL Live Talk. He and Luc Verstrepen, himself a former HayaBusa member, as well, have to put their energy into getting the two new Qatar teams, Lions and Cheetahs, to the performance level where they can become the next generation of FAI medal winners for Qatar.

Lions and Cheetahs both did well at the recent events, first at the 23rd FAI World Cup of Formation Skydiving in Norway, followed by the combined Belgian/Dutch outdoor championship as guest teams. Gary Smith provided an evaluation of the competition in Moorsele and the Qatar teams, and he complimented Dutch team Out Of The Blue who were the only team outscoring Lions and Cheetahs on the top of the leaderboard.

The conversation then turned to another team on the AAA Class leaderboard that caught not only the attention of NSL News and Gary Smith. Original NMP PCH HayaBusa member Sven Ibens, who now works as the new Team Leader & Managing Director for the AAD manufacturer VIGIL, hinted during the NSL Live Talk conversation on August 18th that he has a special plan for the upcoming national outdoor championship in Belgium. His own team, ISR FireFlash, has been very unlucky with injuries of team members in the past and could not compete at the event, which made him available for the Family Flash lineup instead.

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Family Flash - NSL Live Talk with Gary Smith on 14 September 2023

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His team mates were his wife Annelies Hasewinkel-Ibens and his son Siem Ibens. Lena Cynhens, newest FireFlash member, completed the lineup. Siem Ibens is 16 years of age, too young to join the Belgian military services, as Gary Smith explained. However, NMP PCH HayaBusa surely have their eyes on the Belgian 4-way junior, even though they will fill Michele Silvi's open slot with somebody else very soon.

Gary Smith said that the thought of Siem Ibens preparing his future for another open slot with military full-time team NMP PCH HayaBusa is not that far off. The topic has already been discussed.

Original HayaBusa member Sven Ibens had to go the opposite direction in his 4-way career. The original lineup (Roy Janssen, Sven Ibens, David and Andy Grauwels) launched their 4-way team in 2003. It took 14 years until Roy Janssen, David and Andy Grauwels won their first world championship title in 2014, with new member Dennis Praet and Danny Jacobs on camera.

Sven Ibens had to leave the team after the 6th place in Gera 2006, as he decided not to join the Belgian military services. Roy Janssen, David and Andy Grauwels wanted to become 4-way world champions and made the big step into a military career. Gary Smith said that Sven Ibens encourages his son to do what he may desire in his brand-new 4-way career, and the same step could be an option at some time in the future. Family Flash placed 3rd, and Siem Ibens won his first Belgian championship medal. The HayaBusa 4-way project is now its 21st year.