posted Jan 26th, 2025 - The last two NSL News updates of the situation of the Qatar delegation in formation skydiving competition and the Panthers upgrade to AAA Class competition included the first NSL Power Rankings of the upcoming Wind Games 2025 in Empuriabrava, Spain.

Eight of last year's 24 teams return to the same place, nine different teams have signed up for the event next week. Qatar's Lions and Cheetahs will be back with coaches Gary Smith and Luc Verstrepen, while the Tigers have to replace one of the reigning FAI bronze medalists and plan to compete only at military CISM world championships this year. Gary Smith provided the details of the new situation in the related NSL Live Talk conversation.

The Qatar Tigers placed 2nd last year at the Wind Games, 37 points behind the winners from France, Aethers Medjay, and still out of reach for any team from behind. The absence of the Qatar Tigers will probably make the competition for the 2nd place the highlight of the event, while the Aethers will most likely even be further away from all other teams than last year. The French 33.8 average in February 2024 was already one of the highest indoor scoring numbers in history. Only NMP PCH HayaBusa's signature lineup, Arizona Airspeed and Weembi High Rollers have ever posted higher indoor meet averages since the introduction of indoor 4-way competition.

Wind Games 2025			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class Power Rankings		TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	Total	Avg
1	Aethers Medjay	FR	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2	Golden Knights	US	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2	Tunnel Vision	US	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2	NMP PCH HayaBusa	BE	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2	Papea	ES	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2	Monaco F1	MC	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
7	Fly X Amnesya	IT	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
7	Dynos	NO	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
9	Qatar Lions	QA	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
10	Yasuke	MA	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
11	Qatar Cheetahs	QA	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
11	Panthers	CZ	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
13	Airdrops	CH	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
13	Oblivion	FR	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
15	Windabona Angels	ES	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
15	Magyx	ES	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
17	UK Team	UK	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

The Qatar Lions were a part of the battle for the 3rd place at the Wind Games 2024, which will probably not be the case after the personnel changes that Gary Smith explained. However, there is a group of five teams who could make the competition for the 2nd place the most exciting area of the AAA Class leaderboard next week.

The Golden Knights plan to take over the 4-way top position in the United States this year that Arizona Airspeed's new lineup has to defend. The reigning FAI indoor and outdoor world champions cannot travel to Spain and will watch the Wind Games action very carefully from Arizona.

Niklas Hemlin said during earlier NSL Live Talk that he was planning to continue only with indoor training and competition. He follows up, as he brings Tunnel Vision into the new team's first action while coaching the Golden Knights. He will watch the French performance very carefully, as the Aethers could be the target for the U.S. Army team at the next outdoor world championship. The two U.S. teams will be in the race for the position behind Aethers Medjay, which includes most likely a second French 4-way team, even younger than the national 4-way indoor and outdoor team. The NSL News mentioned in the second preview that "Monaco F1 is probably the lineup of the former Aerokart Ak'demie juniors who have grown to 4-way senior competitors and indoor experts".

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	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

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Aethers Medjay - Qatar Lions at the Wind Games 2024

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NMP PCH HayaBusa will be back in action with the new lineup, after the 4th place at the 26th FAI World Formation Skydiving Championships outdoor competition. It will be the second indoor event with HayaBusa for newest member Ray Lodens. He started his HayaBusa journey at the ISR Grand Prix 2023 before going to the military boot camp. David Grauwels was back in the lineup for him at the Belgian open indoor championship a month later. There is no doubt that the HayaBusa scoring level with Ray Lodens at the upcoming Wind Games will be significantly higher than in November 2023.

The Spanish home team Papea have a 26.6 average in their records that they posted last year. They competed with a new lineup at Crystal Coast 2024 and were not in contention for the popular 5th place. However, there was enough time for indoor training ever since, and Papea have the home advantage.

Italy's Fly X Amnesya and the Dynos, pet project for DeLand Norgies FAI triple bronze medal winner of 1999, 2001 and 2003, Pal Kolbenstvedt, both could join the battle for the 2nd place, depending on the lineups and training efforts before the competition. The NSL News also reported on December 9th that the Wind Games would be the second part of the Swiss qualification in 4-way Women for the indoor world championship at Paraclete in April. Airdrops, winner of the first duel at the ISR Grand Prix 2024 in Roosendaal, is on the list of registered teams for the Wind Games, while WingX seem to leave the slot for Airdrops. There is a question mark behind the "UK Team". Chimera competed at the Wind Games last year...