posted Feb 11th, 2006 - The 2006 season opener of 4-way competition is only one week away. The Valentine's Meet at Skydive Arizona has been the first competition of the new season for many years, even before the Southwest Skydiving League was founded. However, in the last years, SSL management and Skydive Arizona have worked together, and the competition in Eloy has become a part of the SSL schedule every year.

The Valentine's Meet has always consisted of 4-way and 8-way competition. The event begins with six rounds of 4-way on Saturday, the 8-way competition follows on Sunday. The 2006 event is the first time that the NSL News will be on site for this event with the usual features of NSL live coverage.

There are many good reasons for the NSL News to make the trip to Arizona, which begins with a visit at the spring meeting of USPA's Board of Directors on Friday in Phoenix, Arizona. The USPA Competition Committee has always important information for the NSL News and its audience. Preparations of this year's NSL News coverage of the USPA Nationals is also on the agenda.

The 4-way competition of the SSL Valentine's Meet 2006 will probably be the most exciting part of the trip to the west coast. Several top teams usually attend the first meet of the season. As usual, Arizona Airspeed will defend its home turf against other serious challengers. Some of the Airspeed members will just have returned from the World Team's new 400-way record formation in Thailand.

Airspeed Odyssey had two of its members in Thailand: Eliana Rodriguez and Craig Girard. Odyssey has the same line-up available as in 2005, completed by Andy Delk, Brian Johnson and Will Pesek on camera. Last time the NSL News covered Airspeed Odyssey was throughout the incredible performance at the World Cup 2005 in Eloy.

The whole event coverage of the World Cup 2005 can still be found in the NSL Archives. Airspeed Odyssey had finished the 2005 season as the best team in the world after a 22.2 meet average and 10-point victory over the USPA 2005 champion and US national team, DeLand Fire.

Airspeed has mostly trained 8-way since the team has to defend the 8-way gold medals at the World Championship of Formation Skydiving this year in Germany. However, there is always time for some 4-way training, especially if the 14-foot SkyVenture Arizona wind tunnel is within walking distance.

The second line-up of Arizona Airspeed used to be Airspeed Velocity. Two members of 2005, Neal Houston and Dennis Rook, left the team after the World Cup. Thomas Hughes and Eric Gin have filled the open slots. The SSL Valentine's Meet will be the first 4-way competition for the new line-up.

Airspeed member Eric Gin will meet his former Fastrax team mates in Eloy next weekend. John Hart and Niklas Hemlin have formed a new line-up for Team Fastrax 2006. Reigning DeLand Majik 4-way world champion Doug Park and former Airspeed 4-way world champion Mark Kirkby have joined the new Fastrax line-up, and Team Fastrax will compete in Eloy.

Team Fastrax 2006 is once again exclusively focused on 4-way, and the talent and experience of the new line-up will allow the team to move up to the very top level of 4-way competition very quickly. Fastrax has already trained enough with the new line-up to make this move in time and at the first 2006 competition next weekend. Airspeed's 4-way line-ups may be more challenged on their home turf than possibly expected.

The competition of full time 4-way teams on the top level is not complete with these three teams. Traditionally, the Golden Knights hold their winter and spring camp in Arizona, and the Army teams have never missed the season opener in Eloy. The Valentine's Meet used to be the first confrontation of the two best 8-way teams in the country, as well.

This time, the competition between Airspeed and Golden Knights will probably be reduced to 4-way. The Army team's effort in 8-way at the USPA Nationals 2005 was only a one-time affair and had no perspectives for the near future. The Golden Knights 2006 line-up also includes two new members, as the NSL News reported on January 2, 2006.

It will be challenging enough for team captain Matt Davidson to bring up the new line-up to the top level of 4-way competition in a short time period. However, the Golden Knights have the resources to guarantee a very steep progression, and they have done this in the past several times. The SSL Valentine's Meet 2006 might provide the first insights.

The 5th full time 4-way team in Eloy will be Perris Fury, which is the youngest addition to the line-up of world class 4-way teams in the USA. The NSL News introduced the team and its plans with the story on February 2, 2006. The only question is how long it will take the Perris team to catch up with the other top teams. The SSL Valentine's Meet will also provide the first indications of Fury's progression.

The NSL News will follow up with more information of the field of teams for the SSL Valentine's Meet 2006. The current line-up of teams is already more than enough reason to stay tuned for updates and get on-line all day long next weekend.