posted Feb 22nd, 2010 - The 4th annual Aerokart Indoor Championship took place last weekend in Paris, France. Many of the French top 4-way and 8-way competitors used the opportunity to either warm up for upcoming competitions or team up with other current or former members of the French national lineups.

The team in 1st place, Aerokart PCs, was just introduced by the NSL News with the story on 17 February 2010. Julien Olek, a new member of the French national 8-way lineup, had a very careful 2009 season, as he recovered from a broken leg. He won the 8-way gold medals at the World Cup 2009 in the Czech Republic. However, 8-way coach and former 4-way and 8-way world champion Erwan Pouliquen had filled his slot at all 4-way meets last year when the team started under a different name, Aerokart Pamiers Maubeuge.

Julien Olek has fully recovered now and has taken back his 4-way slot. His first 4-way scores are impressive and beat all the previous meet averages that his team posted without him.

8-way coach Erwan Pouliquen had to give the Aerokart PCs slot back to Julien Olek. However, he still wanted to compete at the annual Aerokart Indoor Championship and joined forces with two of his former 4-way world champion team mates of 2003, Davide Moy and Julien Losantos. Bruno Perin, French 8-way world champion of 2006 and 2008, completed this lineup, Nice Autrement, which posted a 25.4 average.

The French national 4-way in the female category, Aerokart Deep Blue, was not able to beat the actual French 8-way experts at the 4-way competition in Paris. However, Deep Blue improved last year's indoor average at the same event dramatically and seems to be well prepared for the face-off with UK's national Team Bodyflight at the World Challenge 2010.

Deep Blue had posted a 24.1 indoor average at the Aerokart Indoor Championship 2009 and then a 22.0 average at the World Challenge 2009. Last weekend's 26.8 average included four sole highscores in Rounds 1, 3, 8 and 9. Deep Blue also tied the winner's 19-pointer in Round 7 with the slowest sequence of the competition.

The Veloce Silent and Deadly lineup in 4th place (22.2) included current national 8-way member Martial Ferre, brother of France's national 4-way coach, Marin Ferre. Current B-Team member with Amada Maubeuge, Patrick Boulongne, finished in 5th place, together with Deep Blue's alternate, Isabelle Seel Nore.

The French national 4-way team, Aerodyne Cypres Maubeuge, did not not attend the competition in Paris. The team focuses mostly on outdoor training and competition and has the FSL Shamrock Showdown 2010 next on the meet schedule.

However, the French national team will compete once again at the World Challenge in Bedford. The World Challenge 2009 was the first indoor competition for Aerodyne Cypres Maubeuge.

Hayabusa Defence was the defending champion of the Aerokart Indoor Championship but also decided to skip this indoor competition. The Belgian top contender for this year's medals at the World Championship of Formation Skydiving 2010 has the same travel agenda as the French national team, with the first stop in DeLand in March and then in April in Bedford.

Hayabusa and France both already competed at the Dubai Championship in January.