posted Aug 17th, 2010 - SDC Rhythm XP received special attention after posting a 21.2 average at last weekend's third meet of the Midwest Skydiving League 2010 season. The NSL News also provided earlier Rhythm videos with the story on 15 August 2010.

The same story did not cover the other scores and teams at the same event. MWSL Director Alan Butt now followed up with a more detailed meet report that pointed out as one of the highlights the most improved team of the meet, the new Rookie Class competitors of the ArchRivals.

He also mentioned that Chicagoland Skydiving celebrated a very special anniversary. The skydiving center in Hinckley hosted an NSL meet for the 12th consecutive year. Congratulations from the NSL News are going to Chicagoland with the best wishes for the next 12 years.

August Meet of the Midwest Skydiving League 2010

Written by Alan Butt

Most of the Chicago summer so far has seemed like August, and appropriately enough our first August meet was no exception. It was hot, steamy and storms were forecast at Chicagoland Skydiving Center last Saturday, but that didn’t stop the eight MWSL teams, all of which were participating in at least their second meet of the season. As it turned out, the storms stayed away and every team completed all six rounds with only one short weather hold.

SDC Rhythm XP returned to MWSL competition and celebrated by putting up their first 20+ average for a meet that completed all the scheduled rounds, finishing with a 21.2 average which included an eye-opening 19-pointer for the slow sequence of Round 1 (13-4-16). And they accomplished this while doubling as meet coaches.

August 14th, 2010		Round1	Round2	Round3	Round4	Round5	Round6	Total	Avg
Rank	AAAClass	13,4,16	M,19,O,E	B,D,3,L	12,Q,18	5,14,K	G,8,H,22	Total	Avg
1	SDC Rhythm XP	19	27	25	18	18	20	127	21.2
Rank	AAClass	13,4	M,19,O	B,D,L,E	Q,18,22	14,K,J	G,8,H	Total	Avg
1	Suboptimal	6	10	15	5	7	7	50	8.3
2	Just4 Fun	4	7	3	3	3	2	22	3.7
3	Pieces of 8	1	4	3	3	2	3	16	2.7
Rank	AClass	6,8	B,19	4,L	M,7	J,D,21	H,2	Total	Avg
1	Kiwiberry	7	5	1	10	7	8	38	6.3
2	Jetstream Tango	5	4	5	8	6	7	35	5.8
3	SDC Flying Fish	4	6	4	8	5	7	34	5.7
Rank	Rookie	C,K,E	B,N,G	L,A,O	M,P,F	J,D,Q	H,B,L	Total	Avg
1	ArchRivals	8	5	1	6	6	5	31	5.2

Virtually all of the teams in the MWSL have benefitted from Rhythm’s sharing their insights into exits, block techniques, dive engineering and preparation. Rhythm will not be competing at Meet 4, but Steve, Rob and JaNette will be participating as part of local SDC teams. In fact, if you’d like to join them for the meet, contact them by e-mail.

The most competitive class in the MWSL this season has been the A Class. Jetstream Tango and the Flying Fish, both of whom train at Skydive Chicago, have been locked in close competition all season and Saturday was no exception.

Tango had topped the Fish in each of the first two meets, but the Fish responded with their best score of the year (5.7 average). However, they still fell short of Tango by a single point. Both teams were still outscored by a significantly re-staffed KiwiBerry (Barbie Carqueville, Lem Castro, Laurent Beaudoin, Mike Perry, Kevin Naftzger on camera) who stepped down from the AA Class and finished with a 6.3 average. KiwiBerry received a meet prize of 10 minutes tunnel time at SkyVenture Colorado.

Like Rhythm in the AAA Class, the Archway Archrivals were the sole Rookie Class representatives at CSC Saturday and (since the MWSL was the only American league competing last weekend) the sole team in their class nationally as well. However, thanks to the Paraclete XP Challenge, which is awarded to the most improved team, every returning MWSL team also effectively competes against the previous scores. The Archrivals ran away with the 10 minutes of coached Paraclete XP tunnel time prize by raising their average of 3.7 at Meet 2 to 5.2 last weekend.

As was the case in the A Class, the AA Class teams also had three teams competing. Just4Fun, after missing Meet 2, returned to compete with Pieces of 8 and a re-tooled Suboptimal. All three teams scored close to their previous performances, and by the end of the meet Suboptimal had secured the top spot with a solid 8.3 average, including a 15-pointer in Round 3. Just4Fun finished second with 3.7 and P8 third with a 2.7 average. Suboptimal (Andy Boyd, Paul Webster, Mike Matticks, Alan Butt, Brian Snarr on camera) took home a meet prize for their efforts. Pieces of 8 was awarded the newly created SDC Rhythm XP award of $100 off the fees for one of their tunnel camps.

Meet 3 represented the completion of Chicagoland Skydiving’s 12th consecutive season hosting NSL meets. Thanks to Lisa Dexter, Doug Smith and the staff at Chicagoland Skydiving for making everything run smoothly once again. Also thanks to our sponsors Paraclete XP and SkyVenture Colorado. Former world champion Kirk Verner took time out from coaching Rhythm to judge the meet as well as sharing some advice with our competitors. There is no doubt that the quantity and quality of 4-way instruction available at any given MWSL meet is the highest ever in the Midwest.

Our fourth and final meet is less than two weeks away on the 28th at Skydive Chicago, who will also be hosting the USPA Nationals 2010 just two weeks after that. I hope to see everyone there for some more exciting 4-way action.