posted Feb 22nd, 2005 - The NSL News has received several messages asking what happened to NSL-TV of the Valentine's Meet. The good news is the fact that the footage is on the way to the NSL-TV studios in DeLand. The delivery of the jumps was well planned. However, the shipping of the meet DVD fell through the cracks in the heat of the battle in Arizona. The first meet jumps will be uploaded as soon as possible. The NSL apologizes for the delay.

In the meantime, teams and event management already prepare for the second meet of the 2005 season, the FSL Shamrock Showdown 2005, which is scheduled for March 19 - 20 at Skydive DeLand. The new line-up of DeLand Majik with Solly Williams, Doug Park, David van Greuningen and Robert Healy, Jr. completed its first training camp last Sunday.

Park (Center Inside), van Greuningen (Point) and Healy (Tail) continue in the slots that they have been jumping with their last teams. This situation required a change for Williams who used to be the Tail for DeLand Majik through the last three years. Williams will take the Center Outside slot for Joey Jones.

Even though the change from the rear piece's outside position to the front piece's center position is a significant change, Majik will probably be ready for the same world class performance as before very soon. Williams has a lot of experience with center work since he used to be the Center Inside for Equanimity.

Equanimity as the South African national 4-way team that won the bronze medal at the World Championship of Formation Skydiving in 1997 with a 19.3 average. Former DeLand Majik's Point, Gary Smith, was the Center Outside for Equanimity. After working the center for many years, Smith became the Point and Williams the Tail when they formed DeLand Majik with Joey Jones and Doug Park.

The Center Outside position is a new slot for Williams. However, the center work experience of the past years and his job as a professional coach in DeLand have provided him with all the knowledge and expertise that it takes to fill the new slot most proficiently without much training.

DeLand Majik, Skydive DeLand and the Florida Skydiving League have been the host of the Shamrock Showdown since the inauguration of the event in 2002. The Shamrock Showdown became the official season opener of the Florida Skydiving League in 2004. DeLand Majik has successfully defended the home turf at each previous event (22.6 in 2002, 22.1 in 2003, 21.3 in 2004). The challengers included world class teams, such as Airspeed Vertical, Sebastian XL and Sinapsi PD in 2002, Golden Knights and Sinapsi PD in 2003, Genesis and Sinapsi PD in 2004.

DeLand Majik will be seriously challenged once again in March. The new Sinapsi PD line-up is eager to come up with world class scores in DeLand. The Golden Knights already delivered a world class performance at the Valentine's Meet and defeated both Airspeed line-ups on their home turf. Team Fastrax has already trained hard and a lot this year. The Indiana team and last year's bronze medallist of the USPA Championship wants to close the gap to DeLand Majik and the Army team all the way as early as possible in the 2005 season. Last not least, the local rival, DeLand Fire, will join this group of top contenders in the race for cash and prizes.

The international field of top teams also includes the national teams of Germany (EADS, 5th in Croatia), Belgium (Spa HayaBusa, 6th in Croatia), Norway (Arcteryx, 7th in Croatia), Denmark (Danez, 9th in Croatia) and Sweden. Each of these world class teams will try to get as close as possible to the group on the very top level. There will be more exciting competition to pay attention to. The newly formed all-female team, Fastrax Select, will post its first scores of the 2005 season and determine the starting position in the race for the slot as the female national U.S. team in 2006.

Additional teams of the Florida Skydiving League and other guest teams will complete the competition in all four NSL classes. Skydive City, Skydive Sebastian and the Florida Skydiving Center in Lake Wales will introduce their home teams at the Shamrock Showdown. Teiwaz and Dr. Shugar's Optic Nerve have been FSL inventory for many years. DeLand Majik member Joey Jones has formed a team from Texas only for the Shamrock Showdown (Alex Pincus, Jim Walker and Mariann Kramer). New Majik member David van Greuningen will also compete with Southwest Skydiving League Director Pamela Stevens.

FSC JAMMM from Lake Wales has turned into FSC Wind Damage and plans to move up into the AA Class. The Rookie Class competition will be filled with teams recruited and put together by "The Search", Skydive University's skills camp, which takes place throughout the week prior to the FSL Shamrock Showdown 2005.

The event's competition format includes the 6-round event for the usual NSL/FSL operation. Additional four rounds complete the 10-round "Skins Game" of the Shamrock Showdown. Cash and prizes will be given to the winners before and after handicap for each round. The 2004 purse included $2,150 cash and several other prizes. The handicap will be given to each team after the first three rounds. Rounds four through ten make the "Skins Game". Specific event information can be found at the home page of the FSL Shamrock Showdown 2005.