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The previous articles each provided an overview of the situation on the top level of 4-way competition after the major events at the beginning of the new competition season, the Dubai Championship 2011, the Valentine's Meet 2011, the Paraclete XP Indoor Skydiving Championships 2011 and the Shamrock Showdown 2011.
The results of the World Challenge 2011 were subject of the latest NSL contribution for the brand new June issue. However, it was also time to take a short break and look at the bigger picture. Who is actually the top team in the world at this point in time?
For 25 years, ever since the new dive pool system was introduced in 1985, it was very easy to say who would win the next 4-way competition. It would be France or USA, and it was usually one or the other for one or two years. This may be history, as Formation Skydiving competition has finally reached the point where the sport on the top level begins to show the same characteristics as in so many other sports. Nobody can say for sure who will win the next competition.
This is not only because a third nation has caught up with the powerhouses of Formation Skydiving competition, thanks to NMP-PCH Hayabusa, the national 4-way team from Belgium. It looks as if Arizona Airspeed, Aerodyne Aerokart Maubeuge and Hayabusa can win a competition at any time, and Russia can always produce a winning lineup, as well. Isn't that exciting? There are even rumors that we may also catch up with the prize money of other sports. Who mentioned a million dollars in Dubai 2012...?
Two more international meets have been completed in the meantime, the Shamrock Showdown 2011 at Skydive DeLand and the World Challenge 2011 at Bodyflight Bedford. The NSL News reported both events live on-line from the competition sites and had the opportunity to observe the currently three best teams in the world. Let's see how close to each other they really are.
Dubai Championship 2011 | Round1 | Round2 | Round3 | Round4 | Round5 | Round6 | Round7 | Round8 | Total | Avg | |
Rank | AAA Class | P,17,18 | M,N,F,3 | H,A,6,B | Q,1,C,14 | 4,10,15 | 16,O,J,22 | K,2,E,11 | G,9,8 | Total | Avg |
1 | NMP-PCH Hayabusa | 24 | 34 | 30 | 23 | 19 | 22 | 24 | 28 | 204 | 25.5 |
2 | Aerodyne Aerokart | 24 | 33 | 33 | 20 | 18 | 25 | 23 | 24 | 200 | 25.0 |
3 | Arizona Airspeed | 23 | 33 | 31 | 23 | 19 | 23 | 22 | 25 | 199 | 24.9 |
Yes and no. It is confusing for the 4-way fans of the past two decades who always had a clear picture of the top teams. It is not confusing for sports fans in general. It is actually exciting for both, general sports fans and 4-way fans. You can go to an international 4-way competition that the top teams attend, and you may have no clue who is winning. Sorry, Airspeed fans and Frenchies, the days are over when you could put all your money on your teams. It is a gamble now.
It's not even enough that you don't know who is going to win the meet. Each day is a new day and may see a different team in a better shape than yesterday's winner. It means nothing to be ahead at the end of the first day - unless a superfast sequence of only random formations puts your team far ahead of the others, or behind...
Valentine's Meet 2011 | Round1 | Round2 | Round3 | Round4 | Round5 | Round6 | Round7 | Round8 | Round9 | Round10 | Total | Avg | |
Rank | AAA Class | 18,N,9 | 20,6,5 | 11,O,7 | 15,13,P | 21,L,D,C | G,F,M,K,4 | A,3,22 | 10,19,H | 14,2,B | 1,E,17 | Total | Avg |
1 | Arizona Airspeed | 25 | 23 | 27 | 23 | 30 | 36 | 23 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 250 | 25.0 |
2 | Aerodyne Aerokart | 26 | 19 | 26 | 21 | 27 | 35 | 24 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 234 | 23.4 |
Let's see if we can create a world ranking that is being adjusted after each new competition, just like the golfers have it. Hayabusa won in Dubai in January and started as the No. 1 of the 2011 season, Maubeuge 2nd, Airspeed 3rd. The Valentine's Meet followed with a lower relevance factor compared to Dubai. Let's say that Hayabusa was still No. 1 at the end of February, and Airspeed switched positions with Maubeuge.
Airspeed won the Paraclete Indoor Championships, however, none of the international top contenders attended the meet, so we move forward to the Shamrock. That was the first outdoor competition with all three top contenders and their current lineups. Airspeed won clearly and would have taken away the world's No.1 position from Hayabusa at that time. France defeated Hayabusa by eight points in DeLand and may have been in 2nd place at the end of March, which would leave Hayabusa in 3rd place.
Shamrock Showdown 2011 | Round1 | Round2 | Round3 | Round4 | Round5 | Round6 | Round7 | Round8 | Round9 | Round10 | Total | Avg | |
Rank | AAA Class | N,H,3,1 | J,4,C,13 | 7,17,19 | B,20,15 | 12,22,M | F,18,2 | E,16,9 | G,8,21 | P,A,11,14 | 10,Q,D,L | Total | Avg |
1 | Arizona Airspeed | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 20 | 25 | 30 | 22 | 24 | 29 | 249 | 24.9 |
2 | Aerodyne Aerokart | 23 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 19 | 23 | 29 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 236 | 23.6 |
3 | NMP-PCH Hayabusa | 21 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 19 | 21 | 28 | 20 | 22 | 29 | 228 | 22.8 |
Really? Airspeed's Center Inside, Niklas Hemlin, had something to say at the end of the indoor competion in Bedford, plain and simple, and he made a good point: "You don't win a World Championship of Formation Skydiving in the windtunnel..."
That's right, no IPC medals and no Excalibur sword for Hayabusa's 1st place at the World Challenge 2011. However, £5,000 is not that bad, and that after winning $20,000 in Dubai, plus some change at the Shamrock.
Niklas Hemlin's statement still stands since a windtunnel competition does not have an exit and a subterminal page. So, is Airspeed still on the top of the world rankings after winning the Shamrock Showdown? You tell me...
World Challenge 2011 | Round1 | Round2 | Round3 | Round4 | Round5 | Round6 | Round7 | Round8 | Round9 | Round10 | Total | Avg | |
Rank | AAA Class | 10,C,5 | 20,P,2 | H,M,Q,K,A | L,J,16,12 | E,7,15 | O,11,22 | 14,B,17 | 6,13,9 | 4,3,21 | 1,G,8 | Total | Avg |
1 | NMP-PCH Hayabusa | 27 | 25 | 65 | 29 | 33 | 23 | 28 | 28 | 22 | 25 | 305 | 30.5 |
2 | Arizona Airspeed | 26 | 24 | 60 | 27 | 34 | 24 | 27 | 28 | 23 | 25 | 298 | 29.8 |
3 | Aerodyne Aerokart | 26 | 25 | 52 | 27 | 31 | 25 | 29 | 27 | 24 | 24 | 290 | 29.0 |