posted Aug 1st, 2006 - The NSL News has finally set temporary headquarters at the Gera Airport, the competition site of the FAI World Championship of Formation Skydiving 2006. The preparations for the event are in full swing, and several teams are already on site for the last training and to get familiar with the facilities.

Mathias Maushake, a former member of the German national 8-way team, is in charge for the logistics on site and everything that is related to the World Meet, including the Public Relations. The NSL News service is embedded in the efforts of the German organizer to present the event to the skydiving community and to the public, as well.

The NSL News will begin the coverage with previews, including interviews and hopefully videos of training jumps on NSL-TV. Two teams of the US Formation Skydiving delegation are already in Gera, Arizona Airspeed and DeLand Fire. Elsinore Select, the US representative in the female 4-way category, will arrive later this week.

The NSL News had reported with the story on February 14 that Elsinore Select replaces the defending world champion in this category, Perris Synchronicity, as the US representative at the World Meet 2006. Synchronicity did not want to travel to Germany and decided to attend the Malevsky Cup 2006 instead. Elsinore Select's Point, Kris Byrne, updated the NSL News last week with the latest team developments.

Elsinore Select just completed the team's last training camp before the trip to Germany. The team also competed at the last Soutwest Skydiving League meet on July 22 and scored a 15.0 in the 6-round event. Kris Byrne said that her team was satisfied with the results:

"This is the same score as the team's highscore of the 2005 season at the World Cup 2005. We are feeling comfortable with where we are going into this international competition."

Elsinore Select started in 2005 as Fastrax Select and placed behind Synchronicity (15.4) at the USPA Nationals 2005 with a 14.5 meet average. The team also competed at the World Cup 2005 with the same line-up and finished in 5th position with a 15.0 meet average.

Jacquelyn O'Bryan left the team at the end of the 2005 season and was replaced by Brianne Thompson. Kris Byrne explained that the plans for the 2006 season changed when the team learned that it would compete at the World Meet 2006:

"Our plan for this season was to use 2006 as a rebuilding year. It was quite a surprise to learn that we were eligible to compete at the World Meet 2006 because of Synchronicity's decision not to attend. Not only were we excited, but we had some big shoes to fill, and all our plans for a light training year went out the window."

Elsinore Select has made approx. 220 training jumps and spent several hours in the wind tunnel this year. The team had hoped for more training, but there were more weather days than expected during the training camps. Niklas Hemlin helped the team with coaching, while John Hart supported Fastrax Select in 2005, as well.

Kris Byrne mentioned that the team was grateful for the support it received from its sponsor Selection.com and Fastrax founder John Hart. Select made Elsinore its home in 2006, and Gravity member and 4-way veteran John Hamilton has been guiding the team through the training: "I believe he has given us some powerful tools that will contribute to our performance in Germany in two weeks."

Elsinore Select appreciates the opportunity to compete at the World Meet 2006: "We are also very grateful for this gift of the World Meet that Synchronicity's decision has allowed us." Twelve teams are registered for the 4-way competition in the female category, and any US team is always considered to be in the run for medals. France, Russia and Great Britain are expected to be the other medal contenders.