posted Mar 3rd, 2006 - The coverage of the the AAA Class competition at the SSL Valentine's Meet 2006 is almost complete, and the A Class team Evas Revenge was already introduced with an earlier NSL News story, as well. The AA/Intermediate Class competition of the 2006 season opener is next.

Two teams had signed up for the meet, CAD and AZ Fourplay. CAD is another line-up of the Air Force Academy skydiving operation in Colorado. Mike Bush (Outside Center), Joe Kreidel (Inside Center), Ryan Regan (Tail), Jon Vaage (Point) and Steve Ramos (Video) competed at the Valentine's Meet and finished with a 9.5 average in Eloy.

None of the names of the team members competing at the SSL Valentine's Meet 2006 sounds familiar to the NSL News, and none of the CAD members competed at the USPA Nationals 2005. It seems to be a completely new 4-way line-up for the 2006 season.

It is no news that Colorado's Air Force Academy has produced team after team and sent them regularly to the 4-way meets in the past years. In fact, Air Force teams won the AA Class titles of the NSL Championships in 2002, 2003 and 2005.

The interesting aspect of this new 2006 line-up is the high scoring level as the starting point into the 2006 season. The 8.8 meet average of Air Force Prodigy at the Valentine's Meet 2005 was the highest result for an Air Force team at the very beginning of the competition season. CAD finished with a 9.5 average this year.

Prodigy's 2005 progression (8.8 - 8.4 - 5.5 - 7.8 - 8.2 - 11.4 - 11.8) was interrupted by an injury around the third meet in June 2005. However, the team moved on, still became a medal contender at the USPA Nationals 2005 and won the NSL Championship at SkyQuest 2005.

CAD obviously has the potential and the resources to copy the Prodigy pattern or make it even more successful. The Colorado Skydiving League 2006, re-energized by new CSL Director Travis Roth, offers enough opportunities for competition practice. AF Prodigy used these opportunities carefully last year and showed the according progression. CAD will most likely become a AA/Intermediate Class medal contender this year if the line-up continues throughout the 2006 season.

AZ Fourplay consists of Eric Forshee (Outside Center), Mike Hotz (Inside Center), Steve Iverson (Tail), Scott Pearsall (Point) and Mark Watch (Video). The 7.7 meet average of the Valentine's Meet is a good starting point for the 2006 season, as well. Fourplay had the team's highlight at the last round of the meet. The 11-pointer won Round 6 by three points over CAD and was a perfect way to finish the 6-round competition. All jumps can still be viewed at the NSL-TV page for this event.