posted Feb 6th, 2025 - The NSL News covered some of the highlights at the Wind Games 2025 earlier this week. The battle between NMP PCH HayaBusa and Tunnel Vision, with the tie-breaking extra round at the end, was the main topic on February 3rd. Belgian team captain Dennis Praet provided details of this duel during the NSL Live Talk conversation the same day, shortly after returning from Spain.

He was impressed with his own team's progression during the training week before and the resilience under pressure, which was eventually rewarded with the 2nd place after the extra round.

The direct opponent in this duel was the new U.S. indoor team Tunnel Vision, with reigning 4-way indoor and outdoor world champion Niklas Hemlin in the lineup (Outside Center), his partner Michelle Karamon (Point), reigning 4-way Women world champion, her XPG4 team mate Brenn Richards (Tail) and former SDC Rhythm XP member Keith Conner (Inside Center). Michelle Karamon and Niklas Hemlin needed more time until they were back at their shared homes, Michelle Karamon in North Carolina, Niklas Hemlin in Arizona. They also had to deal with the jet lag, not like Dennis Praet whose team was making it home in a road-trip together, from Belgium to Spain and back. However, the NSL News connected with Michelle Karamon and Niklas Hemlin via Zoom's internet platform yesterday to discuss the Wind Games.

Wind Games 2025			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		11		Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class		L,N,O,6		M,3,A,J		B,D,5,K		Q,10,7		22,1,C		15,11,F		E,14,17		8,21,4		9,20,H		G,19,P,13		12,16,2		Total	Avg
1	Aethers Medjay	FR	39	-1	43		48	-1	29	-1	26		29		32		25		38		32	-1	-		341	34.1
2	NMP PCH HayaBusa	BE	39	-1	37		42	-1	26	-1	26		25	-1	29		22		34	-1	28	-1	23		308	30.8
3	Tunnel Vision	US	38		37		44		27		23	-1	26		29		22		33		29		21	-2	308	30.8
4	Golden Knights	US	38	-1	35		43	-3	27		25	-1	28		28	-1	21	-2	28	-5	32		-		305	30.5

---

---

NSL Live Talk with Michelle Karamon and Niklas Hemlin on 6 February 2025

---

The conversation did not begin with the Wind Games. The lineup of Tunnel Vision has a very interesting history, including the relationship between the front piece couple. Michelle Karamon and Niklas Hemlin both were not shy of sharing insights of the dynamics in a lineup where team members are also spending their whole lives with each other, the romantic side of a partnership with intensive formation skydiving training and competition.

There have been other similar previous relationships between team mates on the top level (Eliana Rodriguez/Craig Girard, JaNette and Steve Lefkowitz), which is unique and athletically only possible in skydiving's team events. There is a separation of the genders in almost all other sports. The feeling of sharing the combination of athletic and romantic experiences both is a special one that not many athletes can talk about.

This relationship between Michelle Karamon and Niklas Hemlin included different versions of working together. They were 8-way team mates when ASXP8 won gold medals at the FAI Tanay Mondial 2020. Niklas Hemlin was also coaching Ranch 2nd Generation before, with Michelle Karamon in the lineup. Then he continued his coaching work partially with XPG4. Last and not least, they are now united in a 4-way lineup, and Niklas Hemlin emphasized that he is only one of the four team members.

FAI Indoor World Cup 2024			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		11		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Women		8,C,7		K,G,12,B		6,4,H		20,1,5		15,10,A		F,O,P,21		19,M,9		J,13,E,22		16,3,N		L,Q,D,18		2,11,17		Total	Avg
1	China	CN	27	-4	33	-1	31		26	-1	21	-3	44		32	-3	29		29		33	-1	-		305	30.5
2	NFTO	UK	26		27	-1	25	-1	25		23		36	-3	32	-1	27		23	-2	32		24	-1	276	27.6
3	XPG4	US	29		28	-2	26		25		24		39		31	-1	25	-1	23	-3	26	-3	23		276	27.6

---

NFTO - XPG4 at the FAI Indoor World Cup 2024

---

The start of Tunnel Vision was almost too good to be true. The 30.8 average after the ten rounds only indicates the potential that will be developed more in the near future. The arguably strongest U.S. opponents at the moment, the Golden Knights 4-way team, have been working together since July 2023 to get to the same level, with Niklas Hemlin coaching them.

However, there were also the two lost tie-breaker rounds for Michelle Karamon and Brenn Richards within a year that the NSL News pointed out with the update on February 4th. Michelle Karamon added the extra round at the Indoor World Cup 2024 in China to make it three lost tie-breakers within a year.

She and her R2G/XPG4 team mate Brenn Richards did not take it too serious. They know that they did not have much time to get ready for all three major events, where XPG4 had changes in the lineup on very short calls (Morgan Womble, Jennifer Davidson), and Tunnel Vision has been in training only for a few months. The 30.8 average of Tunnel Vision at the Wind Games is now the benchmark for the best U.S. 4-way teams at the upcoming national indoor championship. One of the four top contenders will then represent the U.S. delegation at the same Paraclete XP location in April.