posted Jul 30th, 2024 - The NSL News concludes the archived coverage of the FAI Outdoor World Championship 1999 with the last briefing that Solly Williams sent by e-mail from Australia. The final scores of all ten rounds were already posted with the previous update on July 26th.

Solly Williams focused much on the duel between DeLand Norgies and Sebastian XL, which ended with a 1-point difference. Australia 1999 was only the beginning of a 5-year journey for both teams in their pursuit of world championship medals. They started it with a 1-point difference and finished it off in Gap 2003 with a 1-point difference. The DeLand Norgies won the FAI bronze medals three consecutive times (1999 - 2001 - 2003).

The respective national 4-way Open Class teams from France and the United States continued with their battle for the gold medals just as much, until NMP PCH HayaBusa began to interfere with this duel for gold beginning in Dubai 2012.

The addition of NSL News from the archives to SKYLEAGUE.COM does not only offer exciting reviews and insights from celebrities in the sport. There are topics, which are still meaningful and reach into the present of Formation Skydiving competition. One of them is the penalty situation, which was different in 1999, as Solly Williams pointed out a few times. The NSL News will go back to this important topic soon.

NSL News on 29 October 1999

This is the final report about the world meet from downunder. The NSL News thanks Solly Williams for his interesting insights and regular analysis of the action in Australia. Thanks to Uli Sehrbrock of the German 8-way team, as well, who provided the NSL News with updates. And special thanks to OmniSkore, Tim and Ted Wagner, for scores and pictures. Without OmniSkore, Australia would have been really far away. Hopefully, some day the OmniSkore technique will be available at each league meet everywhere in the country and in the world. The next stop for Omniskore will be the National Skydiving League Championship 1999 at Skydive DeLand. Here is Solly's final debriefing.

Solly Williams on 4-way Open on 29 October 1999

Hello again! Celebrate good times yahoo. That's what's been going on here for the last 48 hours. Thanks for all the congratulations and birthday wishes. I got some really cool cards. My mail box was flooded. The dust has settled here after some hard celebrating. What the Aussies might have been lacking in meet organization they made up for in the after-party celebrating. I had hoped to get back to this news group a little earlier but sure you can understand the reason for the delay.

What a finish to this event. Round 9 was a strong round for us before going into it. XL ripped theirs to score the same as Norway although being slightly ahead on the freeze frame. The stage had been set. Three points up was a comfortable place to be, and man, did we need every point and some. Xl landed and where scored while we were up.

They did a fine 18 and the heat was on. I wasn't feeling that confident, as I felt we had peeked in the meet and was wondering how much longer we could keep it together. It could not have been any closer. Norway got off to a bad start when Torstein hit the door on the way out on the Catacccord exit. It meant a very slow second point and then, after that, it was shaky-wobbly-rubber legged all the way through. The freeze frame froze on our 16th point and after being judged three times the point was given and the celebrating for Norway started. The French showed their class and confidence by taking another point off Airspeed and reinforcing an emphatic difference in speed. Some of Airspeed's block work let them down by simply not being quick enough. Speaking to Dan BC last night, he thought they had a good meet but recognized that what used to be fast wasn't fast enough anymore. Just makes our sport more technical in the future. Well done, France. Other teams that really had good meets and were very satisfied where Germany, Australia and my home country South Africa. There was a lot of good skydiving going on, and it certainly was entertaining.

FAI Outdoor World Championship 1999			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open Top 7		9,24,A		O,M,2,Q		14,P,11		19,3,15		N,8,12		C,1,E,20		K,23,17		B,16,21		L,22,J,7		G,5,6		Total	Avg
1	Maubeuge	FR	23		23		18		19		18		24		21		21		21		20		208	20.8
2	Arizona Airspeed	US	23		24		19		16	-2	17		26		19		19		20		19		202	20.2
3	DeLand Norgies	NO	21		23		16		17		16		23		20		19		20		16		191	19.1
4	Sebastian XL	UK	21		23		16		17		17		23		18		17		20		18		190	19.0
5	Russia	RU	22		20		13		16		16		17	-4	18		17		18		15		172	17.2
6	Australia	AU	20		21		15		15		14		19		17	-2	17		15	-2	16		169	16.9
7	Daedalus	DE	18		18		13		13		14		18		15		14		16		16		155	15.5

Solly Williams on 8-way Open on 29 October 1999

Airspeed managed to keep the Russians at bay, but only just. There was a close bust call in Round 10. Two judges busting them. The Russian showed everyone one more time that they were definitely the quickest 8-way team out there. They ended up outscoring Arizona Airspeed in nine of the ten rounds, but they just could not contain the busting. I'm sure they will be very disappointed, although I saw a bunch of them ripping it up downtown last night. All three of these teams are expecting major changes to their teams next year.

On a final note, it's been challenging, yet very rewarding, being part of another team trying to medal in the the 4-way Open Class. I must thank the Norgies for the their hard work and 110% commitment to the cause. The odds were against this team when we started training two years ago, but they did a marvelous job. I'm sure it hasn't quite set in yet.

I must congratulate XL and my contemporary Gary for their fine performance too. To end up one single average-point behind such a fine team like Airspeed is a goal achieved in it's own special way. I know there is very little consolation in coming in 4th by one point. Had it been the other way round I would still be extremely proud of the Norgies achievement though, and I hope you guys can in time feel the same.

To this group and Kurt's webpage I bid you a farewell. Blue Skies, it's been fun. Solly.

FAI World Championship 1999			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	8-way Open Top 6		15,7,13	B,12,E,3	20,K,11	23,H,J	F,2,8	D,6,P,22	N,A,M,G,16	21,L,14	10,C,4	1,9,O	Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	US	22	25	20	20	16	22	25	19	21	21	211	21.1
2	Russia	RU	20	23	20	23	14	19	26	19	22	23	209	20.9
3	Maubeuge	FR	15	21	22	23	13	21	26	19	20	20	200	20.0
4	Australia	AU	15	18	12	10	12	16	20	14	14	16	147	14.7
5	Japan	JP	12	12	11	11	11	12	14	13	10	13	119	11.9
6	Germany	DE	13	13	12	12	9	10	15	10	11	10	115	11.5