posted Oct 2nd, 2009 - The NSL News is going back to another topic that came up a few times in the past months and will most likely be quite important at the upcoming 2009 USPA National Skydiving Championships: the few teams that have managed to get through 10-round meets without scoring below 20 points for any round.

Four teams have achieved this special feat in the history of Formation Skydiving competition: DeLand Majik, Airspeed Odyssey, Team Fastrax and France Aerodyne Cypres Maubeuge. Airspeed did it at three consecutive meets (Malevsky Cup 2007, Paraclete Money Meet 2007, USPA Nationals 2007), Fastrax at two meets (Malevsky Cup 2007, USPA Nationals 2007), Majik once at the Malevsky Cup 2002 and France at this year's FAI World Cup 2009.

DeLand Majik and Team Fastrax are not competing any longer. Former Fastrax member Thomas Hughes is now the Center Outside for Spaceland Force XP. Airspeed and France are still fully involved and plan to win gold medals at next year's World Championship of Formation Skydiving in Russia. Thomas Hughes has the same goal with his team.

The NSL News took a closer look at the competition draws of the meets where Airspeed and France scored 20 points and higher for each round. The question was how much easier the competition draw made it for the top teams at these specific meets. Only one slower round in a meet would already be enough to stop the 20-point series.

DeLand Majik had two 3-block sequences in the 10-round meet in Russia 2002. Solly Williams, Gary Smith, Doug Park and Joey Jones scored 21 points in Round 3 (6-7-2) and 20 points in Round 5 (1-12-9).

Airspeed mastered the slowest round of the Malevsky Cup 2007 (5-10-21) with a 21-pointer. Another sequence with three blocks (1-18-9) was the biggest obstacle at the Paraclete Money Meet 2007, although Block 9 is one of the fastest blocks in the dive pool. Airspeed scored 21 points.

The USPA Nationals 2007 had two sequences with three blocks in the 10-round meet. Airspeed scored 24 points for the first one (19-16-5) and 21 points for the second one (7-22-15). Round 5 at the Valentine's Meet 2008 (22-18-J) stopped the Airspeed run of consecutive 20-pointers and higher.

No team in the world has posted only scores of 20 points and higher in a 10-round meet ever since the USPA Nationals 2007, until the French national 4-way team won the gold medals at the World Cup 2009 with a 24.0 average.

Guillaume Bernier, Mathieu Bernier, Julien Degen, Jeremie Rollet, with Fabrice Rieu on camera, had to master two sequences with three blocks. They scored 20 points for the first one in Round 7 (15-13-18) and also 20 points in Round 8 (21-2-20).

The 4-way experts in the audience can now discuss which one of these 3-block sequences was the slowest one, and which of the four teams mastered the slower sequences the best way. The three top contenders at the USPA Nationals 2009 will have to deal with the new competition draw in little over a week, no matter what kind of sequences will be drawn.

It was also interesting to check out the competition draws during Airspeed's "dry" phase after the USPA Nationals 2007. There were not only 3-block sequences that kept the scores for several rounds below 20 points. The 18-pointer at the Valentine's Meet 2008 (15-20-8) was probably the slowest sequence for Airspeed at that point since the Odyssey lineup was formed.

The Shamrock Showdown 2008 had two 3-block sequences that kept the scores below 20: Round 8 (1-16-20) with a 17 and Round 10 (19-11-22) with a 19. Airspeed's three 19-pointers at the Paraclete Money Meet 2008 included one 3-block sequence (8-2-14).

Two 3-block sequences at the World Meet 2008 in France almost brought Airspeed down to the knees in the 8-round meet. The 16-pointer in Round 4 (18-12-2) was the lowest Airspeed score since the beginnings of the team. It became even worse with a 15-pointer in Round 8 (14-20-21), the final round, which brought the French team back to a 1-point difference. However, the gold medals were saved.

The 18-pointer at the USPA Nationals 2008 in October, Airspeed's only score below 20, was not a 3-block sequence (18-22-D). Airspeed scored a 20 for the only 3-block sequence in this competition draw (2-10-15).

The two scores below 20 points at the Valentine's Meet 2009 came with 3-block sequences, a 19 in Round 7 (6-21-12) and an 18 in Round 10 (10-1-22). Both sequences were slower than many of the other 3-block sequences at Airspeed's earlier meets.

The Shamrock Showdown 2009 was the last 10-round outdoor meet for the reigning world champions. The competition draw had the maximum of three 3-block sequences, and Airspeed mastered two of them well. The 18-pointer in Round 7 (2-14-20) was the only score below 20 points in DeLand.

Airspeed attended one more outdoor competition this year, the World Games 2009. Jump plane was a helicopter with a right-hand door, and the short 5-round meet included one 3-block sequence (19-7-14). Airspeed still managed to beat the 20 with a 22-pointer in Round 1 and walked away with the gold medals in Taiwan.

Airspeed's Center Outside Craig Girard mentioned in a recent interview with the NSL News that the slow sequences are very important to stay on the top. The video of the live interview on Skype will be uploaded very soon.

Slowest Sequences
Which one was the slowest sequence in 4-way?	2-14-20 10-1-22 6-21-12 2-10-15 14-20-21 8-2-14 19-11-22 1-16-20 15-20-8 21-2-20 15-13-18
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