posted Jul 23rd, 2005 - The Northern Plains Skydiving League received priority on NSL-TV before the next FSL and SSL jumps will be shown. It was the first time this year that NPSL footage has been available, and it covers the second NPSL 2005 meet in June.

This event deserves even more special attention since it marked a new record participation for the league guided by director Sandy Grillet. The details of the NPSL record meet were covered in the NSL News story on June 20. By the way, NPSL team Microburst includes Sandy Grillet and his son Nick working in the center positions.

The NPSL began the 2005 season in May on a similar level of participation as in 2004. The June meet, which is now featured on NSL-TV, was the breakthrough to a new level of NPSL competition. Nine teams used all four NSL competition classes to send a great message to skydivers in the Northern Plains. The fast draw of the June 18 weekend added to the fun.

The momentum of the June meet carried into the NPSL July competition, and nine teams once again attended the meet at the same location, Skydive Twin Cities. However, the NSL-TV footage is of the NPSL June meet.

Gang Green with Eric Gagnelius, Miles Hubbard, Todd Jacobson and Bob Stumm in the 2005 line-up has been the most consistent AAA Class team in the Northern Plains in the past years and signed up again for the same class in 2005. Time Out with Doug Anderson, Dani Buscko, Neal Elm and Chris Ruff tested the AAA Class waters during the June meet and then decided to step down into the AA Class for the June meet. Plausible Deniability with John Arnold, Chris Golden, Greg Heideman, Andy Junghans and Mike Berwick on video won the June meet with a 10.8 meet average.

Fast Forward with Steve Blake, Sarah Bultman, Aaron Hislop, Bill Rehm and Mike Guillou on video once again dominates the AA Class competition in the Northern Plains so far. In fact, the 2005 ranking order of the AA Class after three NPSL meets mirrors the 2004 situation very accurately. Fast Forward has secured a solid first place, and Microburst with Ken Flanagan, Nick Grillet, Sandy Grillet, Jason Seibert and Nick Halseth on video keeps winning the second place. Cockeyed with Kenny Flint, Mike Oolman, Aaric and Wendy Oolman and Mark Wagner on video ends up in third place.

However, Time Out has now joined the AA Class competition and pushed Cockeyed down to the fourth position at the July meet. Cockeyed still fought back at the later rounds in July, and the NPSL Championship event will show how the most competitive NPSL competition class will come out at the end of the season.

The Wissota Shockers were the only A Class team in June and consist of Dan Kluge, Monique Lopes-Serrao, Eric Suden and Sean Tallant. The Shockers ended up in 10th position out of 18 A Class teams on that June weekend. The team currently holds the 9th position out of 23 A Class teams with a 4.8 season average after three meets. The Wissota Shockers also faced new NPSL competition when Kittywompus joined the A Class competition of the July meet.

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The Northern Plains Skydiving League has Rookie Class representation, as well. Jammerica with Ashley Byrne, Julie Eubanks, Mark Pawson, Mishon Pawson and Flying Circus with Mike Biederman, Marcus Burnham, Eric Hong, Josh Schellenberg competed together and against each other at the NPSL June and July meets.

Jammerica is a step ahead of Flying Circus so far after posting scoring points for each round this year. However, Flying Circus made a big step between the first appearance in June and the July meet. After zeros in five of the six jumps in June, the Rookie Class team managed to get a scoring point on the board in each of the six rounds in July. Congratulations go from the NSL headquarters to the new competitors in the Northern Plains.