posted Sep 8th, 2005 - The 8-way event is completed, and there was no surprise anywhere. Arizona Airspeed is the old and new USPA champion and will represent the USA in Germany next year. Airspeed finished the competition with a 19.9 average and eight points ahead of the Golden Knights in second place. Paraclete will receive the USPA bronze medals.

The audience was hoping for a more exciting competition when the Golden Knights offered serious resistance through the first three jumps and even won a round by a point. However, Airspeed followed up with a commanding performance and simply won each round by one point for the remainder of the competition.

However, the Golden Knights had a lot of fun in 8-way and surely impressed with the posted 19.1 average after only 90 training jumps in 2005. Airspeed will now move on in 8-way and can focus on one event only. The World Cup 2005 on home turf in Eloy comes up in October, and the French 8-way team will visit and try to repeat the July victory at the Malevsky Cup 2005 in Russia.

Paraclete in third place offered a very interesting line-up with several additional former Golden Knights. Scott Rhodes is one of the most successful 8-way competitor in the history of Formation Skydiving and dominated the 8-way event as the team captain of the Golden Knights for a decade between 1985 and 1995.

Charlie Brown was Scott Rhodes' team mate for many years and also the team captain in the later years and when Scott Rhodes had already retired from 8-way competition. Both of them shared several years in the Army team with a current Airspeed member, Craig Girard.

In fact, Craig Girard formed the Airspeed 8-way line-up in Eloy after he left the Golden Knights in 1994. That's the time when Airspeed began to interfere with the Golden Knights business and eventually took control of the 8-way competition in the USA. The Golden Knights won the US 8-way event for the last time in 1999 in Sebastian, and things have not changed ever since, including the 2005 championship.

The NSL News used the opportunity of meeting Scott Rhodes and Charlie Brown in Perris for an interview that explains how the two world champions made it back into 8-way competition this year. Click here to watch the interview.

The Paraclete line-up includes more former Golden Knights. Paul Raspino has his name on the 8-way Excalibur, as well, and shared a good bit of time with Scott Rhodes and Charlie Brown. Christopher Talbert is from the next generation of Golden Knights and was a member of the last Army 8-way team that won the USPA Nationals in 1999. Christopher Talbert was also on the Golden Knights 4-way team that won the USPA Nationals in 2002 and ended up in second place behind France Maubeuge at the world meet in Gap 2003.

Tim D'Annunzio finances the team with his company Paraclete, and his son John D'Annunzio is also a team member, and both now won their first medals at a USPA championship. Michelle Rose and James Davis complete the Paraclete 8-way line-up. The team won the third place with a 12.5 average and without much competiton from behind.

The interview with Scott Rhodes and Charlie Brown does not indicate yet what to expect from them and Paraclete next year. However, these two former Golden Knights enjoyed the competition and their company.