posted Jun 16th, 2010 - Last year, the NSL News chronicled the history of one of the longest standing teams in the NSL Network, the Skydive Chicago Furies. The first meet of the Midwest Skydiving League 2010 is coming up this weekend, and the Furies return for their eighth straight year of MWSL competition.

In fact, the Furies posted their first 2010 scores last weekend at the Midway Battle on Ottawa home turf. The 2010 lineup was not fully available, and former Rhythm member Laurent Beaudouin filled Gosia Cienkosz' Center Outside slot for the first meet of the 2010 season.

The Furies 2009 lineup (Anabel Durham, Karyn Rees, Shannon Sweet, Rhonda Wilcox, with Charles Lane on camera) had won the USPA gold medals in the Advanced Class at the USPA Nationals.

SDC Furies at the USPA Nationals 2010

This year, the Furies welcome back original founding members of 2003, Gosia Cienkosz (Center Outside) and Sarah Lawrence (Center Inside). Karyn Rees (Point) and Shannon Sweet (Tail) continue in their original slots of 2009. The 2010 lineup is now identical with the one of 2008. After winning USPA Advanced Class medals in 2009, the Furies 2010 lineup will now move up to compete in the Open Class at this year's USPA Nationals for the first time.

While several articles over the years have touched on the Furies' skydiving progress and their contribution to the growth of 4-way in the Midwest, this season the NSL News takes a look at a different side of the team's personalities.

Like many weekend teams, the Furies must balance 4-way training with full lives outside the dropzone, and as they enter the Open Class competition, the balancing act continues. This story explains how each team member finds time to earn a little jump money, stays in shape for competition, and sneaks in a little down time to recuperate. The story of the Furies reflects the situation of many other passionate amateur teams.

Jun12th, 2010			Round1	Round2	Round3	Round4	Round5	Total	Avg
Rank	AAAClass		B,9,21	J,P,E,10	G,M,7,L	4,Q,14	22,6,19	Total	Avg
1	USA Arizona Airspeed	News	29	28	33	23	19	132	26.4
2	Perris Fury	News	27	23	29	21	19	119	23.8
3	Canada Evolution	News	24	26	30	20	17	117	23.4
4	SDC Rhythm XP	News	23	23	27	18	17	108	21.6
5	Skydive Chicago Furies	News	12	12	14	10	9	57	11.4

Karyn Rees, Furies Point, is an Accounting Manager at HSBC Bank in Chicago and an avid world traveler, having ventured to Peru, Japan, and the United Kingdom within the last three years. Her cross-training includes strength exercises and marathon running, as she has completed the Chicago Marathon twice so far.

Gosia Cienkosz, Center Outside, is also an Accounting Manager and works for World Kitchen in Chicago, makers of Pyrex® and Corning® cookware among other brands. A native of Poland, Gosia loves to read and travel and stays fit in the off-season through snowboarding, biking, and strength training.

Tail Shannon Sweet works for Custom Profile, a Plastics Manufacturer in Grand Rapids Michigan, and she was the first in her family to graduate from college. Her spare time is spent with cooking, scrapbooking and hanging out with her family. She keeps fit with belly dancing, strength and cardio training.

Sarah Lawrence, Center Inside, is a Marketing Manager for Kimberly-Clark in Wisconsin, maker of Huggies® diapers and Kleenex® tissue. Her cross-training includes cardio and strength training, yoga and trail running. She has had past careers as a parachute rigger and a classical musician.

Charles Lane, who comes back as the Furies' videographer, is a Security Alarm Installer in Kalamazoo Michigan. When he is not filming the Furies, Charles is one of the most active freefall photographers in the Midwest, filming countless big-ways and record jumps, as well as doing tandems and tandem video. Charles Lane works on his house in his free time and spends time with his dogs Dexter and Zeke.

Though the Furies all come from very different backgrounds, their love of 4-way competition has brought them together and driven them to set higher goals every year. 2010 will be a short season for this veteran team, and it will serve as a building block for the Furies' continuing team career.