posted Feb 26th, 2024 - The NSL News reported on February 22nd that GKXP8 and Qatar Falcons would have their next match-up at the Paraclete XP Indoor Championship 2024. The ten indoor rounds were completed on Sunday morning, and the outcome of this duel between the two best 8-way teams in the world was as expected.

There is still no 8-way team on the planet at the moment that could challenge GKXP8, even though the U.S. 8-way team is currently idling on their own scoring and performance level that nobody else is even close to. The Qatar Falcons are in a similar situation, as they continue on the same level that they performed at before the pandemic break.

Both teams are very secure in their positions and are lacking international pressure respectively. There was a gap of 53 points between GKXP8 and Qatar Falcons, who finished over 30 points ahead of the next U.S. teams. The gold and silver medals at the 26th FAI World Formation Skydiving Championships 2024 are taken by now, and there could only be a battle for the 3rd place, unless Russia will be permitted back into Formation Skydiving competition, or France recruits their best available 8-way lineup.

GKXP8 members Jeana Billings and Kirk Verner also guided Infinite Octane to the 3rd place on the open 8-way leaderboard. The lineup included XPerimental members Jill Stephenson, James Hall and Kirk Verner, Collision Course members Laura Galdamez, Louis French and Ian Pedowitz, plus LJ Wobker.

Paraclete XP Indoor 2024			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	8-way Open		20,L,10		14,A,G,C		M,K,1,12		N,17,P,F		4,11,5		D,8,18		15,E,J,9		B,22,6		7,O,16		H,19,21		Total	Avg
1	GKXP8	US	27	-1	29	-2	36		36	-2	34		25		32		28	-4	31		22	-1	300	30.0
2	Qatar Falcons	QA	20	-3	24	-2	28	-2	32	-1	24	-3	24		24	-2	28		27	-1	16	-4	247	24.7
3	Infinite Octane	US	19		21		24		23	-1	22	-1	19		21	-1	20	-1	26		18		213	21.3
4	Prison 9	US	20		21		22	-2	27	-2	16	-4	16	-3	23		23	-1	26		17		211	21.1
5	Veloce QRF	FR	19		20	-1	25		23	-1	24		15	-2	14	-5	21		21	-1	15	-1	197	19.7
6	Bra Nok XP	US	16		17	-1	21		17	-2	20	-1	17		17		18		20		14	-1	177	17.7
7	The Gr8 Rhevival	US	14	-1	18	-1	19		19	-2	16	-2	15		18	-1	16	-1	20		13	-1	168	16.8
8	Marco's Maniacs	FR	12	-2	13	-2	13	-1	15	-1	12		12		11		14		10	-3	8	-2	120	12.0

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NSL-TV Unfiltered: 8-way Competition at Paraclete XP Indoor 2024 on Saturday Morning

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Doug Barron had his complete SDC Rhythm XP team in the Prison 9 lineup for the first time, including newest 4-way member Steve Loufek. Brian Ball and Doug Hendrix of the previous lineup were back, and Ben Liston resumed his Prison 9 engagement of 2021. XPG4 member Brenn Richards completed the lineup at Paraclete XP, and Prison 9 took the 3rd place on the U.S. podium, after a 2-point battle with Infinite Octane.

The Qatar delegation had split up for the two events last weekend. The Wind Games in Ampuriabrava do not include 8-way indoor competition with its 14-foot flying chamber, while the Paraclete XP Indoor Championship 2024 offers 4-way and 8-way competition both.

The Falcons could only compete in North Carolina, while the three 4-way teams (Tigers - Lions - Cheetahs) had both options and decided to travel to Spain. The Tigers are finally back on an upswing, after hiring former NMP PCH HayaBusa member and Belgian 4-time world champion Andy Grauwels as their new coach at the beginning of the 2023 season. The 30.1 average for the 2nd place behind France is a promising start into the 2024 season. It was still the Lions who impressed even more at the Wind Games. The work of coaches Gary Smith and Luc Verstrepen for building a foundation of strong 4-way competitors for the national teams (Falcons - Tigers) is showing results. The Lions finished in 5th place, and the distance to the Tigers was down to 29 points, less than the difference between Aethers and Tigers on the top of the leaderboard.

Wind Games 2024			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class		16,4,17		G,E,9,Q		21,K,D,13		A,B,15,20		3,5,F		J,C,P,19		1,8,H		18,7,L		2,10,6		O,22,14		Total	Avg
1	Aethers Medjay	FR	30		53		32		34		38		43	-1	26	-2	32	-1	25		25	-2	338	33.8
2	Qatar Tigers	QA	26		43	-2	26	-3	31		35	-1	38	-1	27	-1	29		23		23		301	30.1
3	NFTO	UK	25		42	-2	27		27		28	-2	39		26		27		20	-1	21	-1	282	28.2
4	ISR Fireflash	BE	22	-1	43	-1	25		28		33		40		21	-2	23	-3	20	-1	22		277	27.7
5	Qatar Lions	QA	23	-1	41	-2	25	-2	27	-1	32		34		23		25		20	-1	22		272	27.2
6	Papea 1	ES	23	-1	33	-3	26		25	-2	28	-2	38		25	-1	26		21		21	-1	266	26.6
7	Nephtys	FR	21	-1	42	-2	25	-1	24	-3	30		35	-2	21	-2	25	-1	21		21		265	26.5
7	Fly X	IT	22	-1	35	-4	26	-1	26		31		32	-2	26		28		19	-1	20	-2	265	26.5
9	FCUK Weembi	UK	22	-1	43		29		25	-2	25	-3	33	-1	20	-1	23	-3	23		20	-1	263	26.3
10	Chimera	UK	21		42	-1	25		29		27	-2	33	-1	22		25		20		18	-2	262	26.2
11	Airbus Illertissen Oceanside	DE	21		36	-3	23		26	-1	29		35		23		25		19		19		256	25.6
12	Autrement Nice	FR	22		35	-3	25		25		28		34		21		24		20		18	-1	252	25.2
13	Once Pakoi	FR	18	-1	33		23		24		26		29	-1	23		24		19		19		238	23.8
14	Qatar Cheetahs	QA	21		37	-1	19		24	-2	24	-4	32		19	-2	22		17		19	-2	234	23.4
15	Windabona Alakran	ES	21		28	-6	24		20	-3	24	-1	31		23		23	-1	15	-3	16	-3	225	22.5
16	Viserion	UK	17	-2	35		22		21	-1	24	-2	28	-2	19		20		17		15	-2	218	21.8
17	HSV Red Bull AerodynamiX	AT	17	-2	34	-4	21	-2	17	-5	18	-5	29		21		17	-4	18		18	-2	210	21.0
18	Papea 2	ES	17	-2	28		21		21		22		28		16		20		17		16	-3	206	20.6
18	Airdrops	CH	16	-2	32	-1	21		19	-2	26		23	-3	16	-2	20		16		17		206	20.6
20	Windabona Angels	ES	17	-1	28		19	-2	18	-3	22	-1	27		20		20	-1	17		16	-1	204	20.4
21	HiFly Madrid Kalash	ES	17	-3	29	-5	20	-3	16	-6	24	-1	25	-5	19	-1	19	-2	14	-3	12	-6	195	19.5
22	Magyx	ES	12		20		13	-2	11	-1	13		16		13		14		10	-1	12		134	13.4
23	Aerium	ZA	13		18	-3	13	-1	9	-5	16		15	-1	12	-1	12	-1	10	-1	11	-1	129	12.9
24	Falling Stones	ES	7	-2	12	-4	11		8	-3	8	-1	14		15		11		9	-2	10		105	10.5