posted Jul 5th, 2006 - The NSL News on June 30 announced the record scores from Russia, which were posted the same day on the NSL website. Russian NSL fans had provided the information after the conclusion of the competition in Stupino, the hosting drop zone of the popular Malevsky Cup.

The record scores of the new Russian 4-way champion, Sky Panthers Barkli, were already exciting enough. However, the NSL News was interested in more details and the history of the team. It took several days and help from Russia until enough information was available to follow up with a more comprehensive story.

Anton Kovalev (Synairgy and Teiwaz member) and Stupino's staff (Alexander "Sasha") kindly helped out with additional information. Event judge on site, Klaus Wellens, explained some aspects of last week's competition in Russia from his perspective, as well.

The results of the Russian Nationals were not only a surprise due to Sky Panthers Barkli's record average of 24.1 after ten rounds and the 42-pointer in round two. The hottest competition was expected between Black Cat, the previously reigning Russian champion and national team, and the most serious challenger of 2005, Extreme.RU.

The NSL News mentioned already in May that the Sky Panthers are back with a new line-up, which indicated a possible 3-way race for the top spot in Russia. However, even Dan BC still expected Black Cat to be the Russian national team this year after observing them briefly during his June visit in Russia, as the NSL News story on June 14 reported: "Black Cat was also at the site when the 8-way team was training. As we saw at the World Cup 2005, these guys are very fast. If they can keep it clean and together, they will be putting up some high scores."

Black Cat was challenged by Extreme.RU throughout the 2005 season. Black Cat won the Russian Nationals 2005, but Extreme.RU reduced the distance to only three points at the Malevsky Cup 2005 (195 - 192). Both teams then competed at the FAI World Cup 2005, and Extreme.RU passed the 20.0 average mark for the first time (20.3), while Black Cat won the bronze medals in Eloy with a 21.2 average after a jump-off with DeLand Fire.

Extreme.RU continued with the team's progression and finished with a 21.3 average at last week's Russian Nationals 2006. However, the real competition took place on a significantly higher scoring level and between two other teams. The comeback of the Sky Panthers with Barkli as the name sponsor became the highlight of the event.

Sky Panthers Barkli, the new Russian champion and national team of 2006, consists of Michail Kuznetsov, Vladimir Pavlenko, Oleg Shalomikhin and Sergej Shenin. Michail Kuznetsov is an active businessman and politician who formed the Sky Panthers in 2002 with three of the current Black Cat members: Alexei Minaev, Eugenij Staschenko and Vasilij Korotkov.

The three professional skydivers were former members of the Russian 8-way team, which won silver medals at the World Meet in Australia 1999 and gold medals at the World Meet in Spain 2001. The Russian 8-way team replaced Alexei Minaev, Eugenij Staschenko and Vasilij Korotkov and moved on to defend the gold medals successfully in France 2003.

The new Sky Panthers with the talented sponsor Michail Kuznetsov and the three 8-way world champions started out on a high performance level of 17.1 average at the Malevsky Cup 2002. The second place at the Russian Nationals 2002 came with an 18.6 average, the World Cup 2002 in Spain with a 17.3 average.

The Sky Panthers with the same line-up followed up with a steep progression in 2003 and placed 2nd once again at the Russian Nationals with a 19.3 average. The team already arrived at the 20.0 average level at the Malevsky Cup 2003, while the Russian 4-way team at the World Meet in France 2003, Wild Wind, finished in 9th place with a 16.9 average.

The 2004 season was the peak of the Sky Panthers' team career with the same line-up. Michail Kuznetsov, Alexei Minaev, Eugenij Staschenko and Vasilij Korotkov finally won the Russian Nationals (20.2) and took the 3rd place at the Malevsky Cup 2004 with a 21.0 average.

The bronze medals for the Sky Panthers at the World Meet in Croatia 2004 was the greatest success for a Russian 4-way team ever since the silver medals at the World Meet in Spain 1989. The 21.1 average after ten rounds was also the highest result of a Russian 4-way team in world meet history, and the best jump of the competition in Croatia is still available on NSL-TV (click here for a review).

The impressive performance in Croatia 2004 was very promising for the future of the team. The gold and silver medalists of 2004, DeLand Majik and France Maubeuge, retired after the world meet, and the door to the gold medals at the World Meet in Germany 2006 seemed to be wide open for the Sky Panthers.

However, things changed in 2005 when team sponsor Michail Kuznetsov could not continue with the necessary efforts. He was elected as the governor of the Pskov region in Russia and had to focus on politics and business. The team separated, and Alexei Minaev, Eugenij Staschenko, Vasilij Korotkov found a new young and very talented member, Alexander Kvochur. The NSL News story on February 28, 2005, (Archives > 2005 > News) provided detailed information of the situation at that time.

A conflict with Michail Kuznetsov over the original team name forced the new line-up with Alexei Minaev, Eugenij Staschenko, Vasilij Korotkov and Alexander Kvochur to compete as Black Cat in the future. However, the new name did not stop the progression of the old line-up with the new member.

Black Cat won the Russian Nationals 2005 by two points over Extreme.RU with a 20.8 average and placed 3rd at the FAI World Cup 2005 in Eloy with a 21.2 average. The Russian team had caught up with the US team for 2006, this time DeLand Fire, and the door to the gold medals at the World Meet in Germany 2006 was still wide open. However, Black Cat still had to win the Russian Nationals 2006 to qualify for the world meet.

In the meantime, Sky Panthers founder Michail Kuznetsov was ready to re-join the top 4-way competition in Russia. Obviously, his former team had gone a different direction without him, and he decided to join the Sky-Light Barkli line-up for his comeback and the 2006 season.

The Sky-Light Barkli line-up also included three Russian top competitors in 4-way and 8-way of the past decade: Sergej Shenin, Oleg Shalomikhin and Vladimir Pavlenko. In fact, Oleg Shalomikhin and Vladimir Pavlenko were team mates with the original Sky Panthers and current Black Cat members Alexei Minaev, Eugenij Staschenko and Vasilij Korotkov when Russia won the 8-way gold medals in 2001.

Sky-Light Barkli competed at the Malevsky Cup 2005 (17.7) and took the 3rd place at the Russian Nationals 2005 (18.5). The same team also traveled to the FAI World Cup 2005 in Eloy and finished with a 17.9 average in 8th position. Sky-Light Barkli member Leonid Kazinez did not continue with the team in 2006, and Michail Kuznetsov took the slot this year.

Michail Kuznetsov, Sergej Shenin, Oleg Shalomikhin and Vladimir Pavlenko combined their former team careers for a new team name, Sky Panthers Barkli, and the team began with the training. Sky Panthers Barkli completed approx. 250 training jumps, and the team spent several hours in UK's Bodyflight windtunnel in Bedford.

The team was obviously very well prepared for the Russian Nationals 2006. However, even the Russian 4-way experts and the Sky Panthers Barkli members did not seriously expect to win the competition against Black Cat. The reigning Russian champion was well prepared, too, and Black Cat's 23.4 average last week was a new team record.

The Sky Panthers Barkli 2006 line-up must be of a special and extremely well working chemistry. The short preparation time for this line-up makes the 24.1 average all the more impressive. It is the highest 10-round average in the history of Formation Skydiving competition.

The 42-pointer in round two of last weekend's competition adds to the impact of these scores. It is not the highest score of the 2006 season. However, DeLand Fire's 47-pointer (F-M-P-O-E) at the FSL Shamrock Showdown and Spa Hayabusa's 45-pointer (J-O-A-H-F)in April were the result of sequences with only Random Formations, while Sky Panthers Barkli's 42-pointer included Block 9 (Cat/Acc - Cat/Acc).

The situation leading up to the World Meet 2006 has become even more exciting. The former Sky Panthers were already on the same performance level with Italy's Sinapsi PD at the World Meet in Croatia 2004, and Black Cat caught up with the US team at last year's FAI World Cup. The new Russian national team, Sky Panthers Barkli, seems to be even better and has taken a very strong position one month before the competition begins in Germany.