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There is no definition for this category, and it is impossible to draw a clear line between weekend amateur and real professional competitors. However, there is still a difference between the top teams and full time skydivers and the other passionate competitors who spend a lot of time and money to become as good as they can be according to their limited efforts.
The NSL News has tried to honor those "amateur" teams and competitors who never end up on the top of the leaderboards, as they have decided to have 4-way training and competition as a hobby and not a profession. However, the best "amateur" teams are posting impressive scores and deserve attention. This year's winner at the USPA Nationals 2010 was DeLand Shmeland XP.
USPA Nationals 2010 | Round1 | Round2 | Round3 | Round4 | Round5 | Round6 | Round7 | Round8 | Round9 | Round10 | Total | Avg | |
Rank | 4-way Open | 16,21,11 | 3,L,K,10 | 6,22,1 | 12,20,4 | Q,M,2,N | H,D,9,G | 19,5,13 | F,E,17,O | C,8,7 | A,18,14 | Total | Avg |
6 | DeLand Shmeland XP | 15 | 17 | 13 | 13 | 21 | 28 | 15 | 30 | 17 | 12 | 181 | 18.1 |
7 | Speedy Kids XP | 14 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 23 | 23 | 15 | 24 | 17 | 13 | 173 | 17.3 |
8 | Founding Fathers | 13 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 21 | 20 | 17 | 27 | 16 | 13 | 169 | 16.9 |
9 | Amphibious Attack Tigers | 12 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 18 | 25 | 16 | 27 | 14 | 14 | 168 | 16.8 |
Speedy Kids, Founding Fathers and Amphibious Attack Tigers battled with Shmeland for the amateur title this year. The AAT lineup included three Mass Defiance members who are still holding the record amateur average at USPA Nationals.
Ben Liston, John Silva and Brian Stephens had posted a 19.3 average at the USPA Nationals 2007, together with John Rees who is now a USPA National Judge and evaluated the competition jumps of his former team mates at this year's event. They all kept their eyes on the scoreboard wondering if somebody would get close to the record average this time.
USPA Nationals 2007 | Round1 | Round2 | Round3 | Round4 | Round5 | Round6 | Round7 | Round8 | Round9 | Round10 | Total | Avg | |
Rank | 4-way Open | 11,6,K | 12,E,C,A | 18,17,F | 4,8,P | M,20,D,9 | 19,16,5 | B,3,O,G | 13,H,2 | 7,22,15 | N,21,L,J | Total | Avg |
7 | Mass Defiance | 18 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 25 | 16 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 22 | 193 | 19.3 |
8 | FooZa | 18 | 18 | 20 | 16 | 23 | 16 | 24 | 17 | 16 | 22 | 190 | 19.0 |
Jim Klinge had won hist first amateur honors with Phugoid and a 15.7 average at the USPA Nationals 2005. His team beat Perris Fury by one point that year. XL's John McIver was filling in for Chris Farina at Fury's first USPA Nationals.
Sally Hathaway was competing with the US national team Synchronicity at the same meet, 4-way world champion in the female category at the World Meet 2004 in Croatia. She had outscored all other "amateur" teams with Synchronicity in 2003 and 2004. Mass Defiance was the USPA Advanced Class champion in 2005.
USPA Nationals 2005 | Round1 | Round2 | Round3 | Round4 | Round5 | Round6 | Round7 | Round8 | Round9 | Round10 | Total | Avg | |
Rank | 4-way Open | 2A 19 | F20 D 9 | C21 N 11 | 15M 8 | 46 P | 51 H | 227 12 | 3K 16 | E17 14 | 1318 J | Total | Avg |
7 | Phugoid | 18 | 20 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 157 | 15.7 |
8 | Perris Fury | 17 | 19 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 156 | 15.6 |
9 | Perris Synchronicity | 16 | 19 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 17 | 13 | 154 | 15.4 |
9 | Mass Defiance | 19 | 19 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 154 | 15.4 |
11 | Dallas Thunder | 15 | 19 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 152 | 15.2 |
Mass Defiance had now moved up into the Open Class competition, as the USPA Advanced Class champion is required to do. The same MD lineup finished right behind FiaZco with a 16.7 average.
Sally Hathaway was once again competing with Synchronicity in 2006 and finished with a 15.9 average behind her two future Shmeland team mates.
USPA Nationals 2006 | Round1 | Round2 | Round3 | Round4 | Round5 | Round6 | Round7 | Round8 | Round9 | Round10 | Total | Avg | |
Rank | 4-way Open | 1319 17 | N21 14 | 7M 8 | 9K 10 | B22 H 3 | 420 16 | G6 1 | 12F 2 | JL Q P 18 | EO 5 D | Total | Avg |
8 | FiaZco | 15 | 14 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 23 | 23 | 176 | 17.6 |
9 | Mass Defiance | 15 | 14 | 19 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 22 | 23 | 167 | 16.7 |
Tempest's 17.1 average would have won the Advanced Class gold medals that year, which went to CSC Rhythm XP (16.9) instead. However, Ari Perelman still ended up behind Jim Klinge and Rodney Cruce who competed with Inept (17.4) in 2008.
Arizona Divewerkz posted the highest amateur average at the USPA Nationals 2008 (19.0) and came closer than any other team to Mass Defiance's 19.3 record average. Mass Defiance witnessed AZDW's challenge with Dennis Rook for Jim Rees in the lineup.
USPA Nationals 2008 | Round1 | Round2 | Round3 | Round4 | Round5 | Round6 | Round7 | Round8 | Round9 | Round10 | Total | Avg | |
Rank | 4-way Open | 2,10,15 | F,C,3,H | J,O,4,N | 20,M,E,11 | 13,12,L | 9,A,19 | 18,22,D | 21,17,P | 6,14,Q | B,1,G,7 | Total | Avg |
8 | Arizona Divewerkz | 15 | 25 | 23 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 16 | 19 | 16 | 21 | 190 | 19.0 |
11 | Spaceland Directe XP | 13 | 22 | 22 | 17 | 16 | 22 | 14 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 180 | 18.0 |
12 | Inept | 14 | 19 | 22 | 19 | 12 | 22 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 20 | 174 | 17.4 |
13 | Sebastian Tempest | 13 | 22 | 21 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 12 | 16 | 17 | 20 | 171 | 17.1 |
14 | Mass Defiance | 15 | 23 | 22 | 20 | 13 | 23 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 1 | 167 | 16.7 |
Ari Perelman teamed up with three of his Dallas Rogue 8-way team mates and posted a 17.1 average with the Amphibious Attack Tigers, exactly the same average as with Sebastian Tempest in 2008. Two of the Attack Tigers, former Mass Defiance members Ben Liston and Brian Stephens, watched SDC Rhythm XP's last attack on their amateur record average in 2009. Rhythm won the unoffical amateur title but missed the 19.3 mark.
Rodney Cruce competed only in 8-way with Dallas Rogue and was in the same lineup with his Shmeland team mate Ari Perelman for the first time. Jim Klinge competed neither in 4-way nor in 8-way and was eager to come back in 2010.
USPA Nationals 2009 | Round1 | Round2 | Round3 | Round4 | Round5 | Round6 | Round7 | Round8 | Round9 | Round10 | Total | Avg | |
Rank | 4-way Open | 13,20,18 | D,10,3 | 16,15,K | G,Q,L,8 | B,17,21 | A,N,H,P,O | 1,14,M | 19,12,J | 5,11,C | 22,9,E | Total | Avg |
6 | SDC Rhythm XP | 13 | 17 | 16 | 20 | 18 | 35 | 15 | 13 | 17 | 17 | 181 | 18.1 |
8 | Amphibious Attack Tigers | 14 | 12 | 14 | 18 | 19 | 30 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 171 | 17.1 |
9 | Spaceland Blue | 14 | 14 | 14 | 19 | 17 | 26 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 166 | 16.6 |
9 | Sebastian Tempest | 13 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 28 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 12 | 166 | 16.6 |
Solly Williams was coaching the team from the very beginning this year, and Shmeland with Michael Biederman posted a 14.4 average after the first part of the training at the FSL Shamrock Showdown 2010. By the way: the same Shamrock Showdown also featured Rhythm's first meet with the new lineup and a real Mass Defiance reunion with the original lineup.
Several weekends and additional wind tunnel training followed with Sally Hathaway and Solly Williams, and the progression between the first scores on the Shamrock leaderboard and the results at the USPA Nationals was impressive. Shmeland's 18.1 average did not beat MD's 19.3 record average, but it was another great result for a lineup with weekend amateur competitors.