posted Sep 15th, 2006 - SkyQuest 2006 is in the works. The new logo on the top of the front page indicates that the popular event will be continued. However, Fantasy of Flight is not the host any longer. Skydive DeLand will be the new location for SkyQuest 2006. The home of the 4-way world champions DeLand Majik and DeLand Fire had already hosted the NSL Championships in 1998, 1999 and 2000.

The NSL Championship has obviously become a part of a bigger event in the meantime. SkyQuest 2005 consisted of the 100-way Kaleidoscope Dives, the Pond Swooping competition, 40-way sequentials and the 4-way competition of the NSL Championship. SkyQuest 2006 will continue with the same event format. The video clip of last year's event provides an overview of the current event format.

National Skydiving League, SkyVenture Orlando (Bill Kitchen) and Fantasy of Flight (Kermit Weeks) created SkyQuest in 2001 for the first time, and the NSL Championship moved from DeLand to the aerial theme park and museum in Polk City. The SkyQuest managament added the other skydiving events to make it more attractive for participants and spectators.

NSL President Kurt Gaebel contacted BJ Worth and asked him if he was interested in managing the big-ways for the new event. BJ Worth and Kurt Gaebel have known each other for several years, mostly through their common interest in the development of the sport. BJ Worth has been serving for the International Parachuting Commission (IPC) for a long time, he was the IPC President for many years, and he is still IPC President of Honor.

BJ Worth is also a former world champion in 8-way Formation Skydiving competition. He won world meet gold medals with his legendary US team Mirror Image in the late 70's. Former 8-way team mate Roger Ponce De Leon is still one of BJ's team captains at the Kaleidoscope Dives.

Last not least, BJ Worth has also been responsible for several skydiving stunts in mainstream movies. His doubles for Mr. James Bond have always been some of the most popular scenes in Hollywood. The most famous one is probably the jump from the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.

BJ liked the idea of the multiple-discipline event and agreed. He also saw the Kaleidoscope Dives as a great opportunity to train with his current World Team members and prepare potentially new candidates. BJ Worth always brings his high-profile team captains, so he can guarantee professional planning, jump preparations and debriefing for all participants. As a result, the Kaleidoscope Dives have been a crucial and exciting part of SkyQuest.

The Pond Swooping event was added and has been a part of SkyQuest Florida from the very beginning, as well. Fantasy of Flight had the perfect swooping ponds already on site. The ponds did not need any special preparations and were ready for competition at the first visit in 2001.

Pond Swooping has been a very attractive part of the SkyQuest disciplines ever since, and even the participants of the other events regularly showed up at the swooping pond when a new competition round was about to begin. Skydive DeLand now prepares the competition site for the "Swoop-Quest 2006".

SkyQuest had already become a popular event at Fantasy of Flight when Guy Wright contacted the SkyQuest management in 2004. He was interested in organizing his 40-50way group under the umbrella of SkyQuest. The size of his group fit into the SkyQuest concept, and the plane capacaties were available. It was a deal, and Guy Wright and SkyQuest management agreed to give this event the name "Team Elite".

The first appearance at SkyQuest 2004 was a great success, and Team Elite came back for more SkyQuest action at Fantasy of Flight in 2005. When SkyQuest 2006 decided to move to Skydive DeLand, SkyQuest management and Guy Wright discussed the options, and Team Elite's leader decided to continue with the same project at a different location.

However, the SkyQuest management had already committed even much earlier to include the 40-way project in SkyQuest's future events with a long-term goal: bring back the exciting 40-way competition of the old days.

Skydive DeLand with Tom Piras as the leader and Skydive City with several other skydiving greats battled every year between the mid 80's and early 90's for the honor of the faster and better 40-way team. SkyQuest has re-initiated the 40-way event, and it will hopefully soon turn into the exciting 40-way competition it used to be.

Many of the SkyQuest participants of the past years have already expressed their appreciation that the event goes back to a real skydiving center. Skydive DeLand has the capacaties, expertise and experience to run large skydiving events. The management in DeLand is excited about the opportunity to host the event in November.

The SkyQuest website has been updated, and the NSL News will follow up with new information. This weekend's NSL Playoffs 2006 are traditionally the qualification event for the NSL Championship at SkyQuest 2006. Several teams have already expressed their motivation to go after the NSL trophies and medals in all four competition classes.

Teiwaz Lake Wales of the Florida Skydiving League is the defending AAA Class champion of 2005. Air Force Prodigy from Colorado won the AA Class last year. FSL team Zero Tolerance Miami took the trophy, medals and cash of the A Class competition, and Team America from Texas won the Rookie Class in 2005.

There is a good chance that three of the defending champions will not give away the titles without a fight. Teiwaz Lake Wales is ready to complete the qualification at the playoffs this weekend, as well as Z(ero) T(olerance) Mal4mations from Miami. The Air Force teams are already preparing their November trip to Florida.

Only Team America cannot defend the Rookie Class title. The Texas Skydiving League team has moved up into the AA Class competition this year. Team America has the opportunity to go after the AA Class title, but there will be a new NSL Rookie Class champion after SkyQuest 2006.