posted May 27th, 2004 - Most of the NSL league directors took their positions due to their love for the sport and specifically 4-way Formation Skydiving competition.

The first league directors and founders of the oldest leagues in the country were active 4-way competitors at the same time.

Texas Skydiving League founder Joe Hazel competed with Terminal Ecstacy, Georgia Skydiving League founder Glen Hauenstein with Mr. Pink and Florida Skydiving League Kurt Gaebel with DeLand VNE.

When the leagues became busier and required more attention, it became more challenging for many of the directors to train and compete, while running the league affairs. However, several current and former league directors are still active, while others have stepped back.

Two former league directors recently joined the active league competition in the Carolina Skydiving League. Keith Walter launched the Colorado Skydiving League in 2000 and brought 4-way skydiving competition back into this region. He guided the CSL for two years and then handed it over to Samer Haija for the 2002 season. Walter kept in touch with the CSL and the NSL headquarters and finally had to let go of his first league when he recently moved from Colorado to North Carolina.

Walter and his wife Yvette formed a team for this year's CaSL season opener at the Raeford Parachute Center and competed with Where's Tom in the AA Class competition.Tony Thacker had taken the Carolina Skydiving League ball from founder Adam Wheeler who launched the inaugural CaSL season in 2000, the same year as the Colorado Skydiving League.

Thacker made great efforts to continue the league and moved the CaSL up to a new level of league business and participation. He was the CaSL Director for the 2001, 2002 and 2003 season and also took the position of the meet director at the USPA Nationals in 2002. He resigned as the CaSL Director at the end of the 2003 season and handed over the league affairs to Randy Garman.

Thacker was now looking forward to become a part of the league as a participant when he bidded the CaSL business good-bye:

"It has been a pleasure performing the duties of League Director for the last couple of years. I'll see you all in Raeford the 17th of April. Hopefully I can compete. Blue Skies, Tony T"

It worked out well. Thacker showed up at the CaSL 2004 season opener as a competitor with team XD and competed together with Keith Walter and his team Where's Tom in the AA Class.

It was a great race between both former league directors through the first three rounds with a difference of only one point. However, Thacker's team XD took control in round four and finished with a 7.7 meet average in second place, nine points ahead of Walter's Where's Tom with a 6.2 average in third place. Both former league directors received medals at their first CaSL meet as participants.

Apr 17th, 2004		Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Round 6	Total	Avg
Rank	AA Class	D-19-Q	11-7	G-L-P-C	N-15-B	K-F-1	6-A-18	Total	Avg
1	Carolina Ice	10	10	14	10	8	8	60	10.0
2	XD	7	7	9	7	10	6	46	7.7
T3	Where's Tom	7	8	7	4	7	4	37	6.2
T3	Fox Force	7	5	8	5	7	5	37	6.2
5	Effen	7	3	7	6	5	5	33	5.5
6	Imagination	3	4	5	6	7	6	31	5.2
7	Critical Mass	5	6	4	4	5	6	30	5.0
8	JFF	6	3	6	6	1	6	28	4.7
9	Groove Thing	0	4	6	6	4	4	24	4.0

Keith Walter also traveled to the second meet of the Carolina Skydiving League 2004, while Tony Thacker did not compete at Blue Sky Adventures on May 15th.

Walter left his parachute at home, as well. He was the official meet judge in South Carolina that weekend and took the job very serious. As a rated national judge, Walter updated himself and studied rules and special situations before committing to the new job.

It seems as if both former directors still enjoy the league life and their current positions. The NSL News will keep tracking down their league careers. Thanks to all league directors and their staff for the great efforts they put into the leagues.