posted Mar 23rd, 2005 - Weather has definitely limited training days for many SSL teams this season, but so far both SSL meets have surmounted looming forecasts. Just as the Arizona skies opened up long enough for teams to complete their rounds at Meet #2, the California skies also cooperated on the weather day.

For the first time in the history of the league, a meet day was called before it ever started. After reviewing at the weather forecast for Saturday, the drop zone coordinated an alert effort to convey the postponement of the meet to the weather day. Contingency plans were already in the works for a tunnel meet on Sunday, but the skies cooperated and the competitors enjoyed a beautiful day at Skydive Perris. Unfortunately Arizona Divewerkz spent Saturday at their hotel and were unable to take advantage of the weather day because they had to leave on Sunday to get a teammate back to Colorado on time.

The meet included a total of nine teams: four in the AAA Class, four in the AA Class, and one A Class team.

In the AAA Class, it was all about Perris Fury, with Dan Brodsky-Chenfield, Josh Hall, Christy Frikken, and Uli. The team scored a strong 16.0 average and won the gold. The silver medal went to Perris Storm, with a 10.3 average. Storm, with Bill Morrison, Mike Anderson, Andi McNew, and Dominic Guzman, picked up speed in the later rounds of the meet with consistent 11’s. It’s early in the season for this group, they probably just need a few sunny days to train! The bronze medal went to the new Perris Rebels line-up. Pete Godbold, everyone’s favorite Rebel, now counts Michael James, Bill Binder, and Angie Wienand as teammates. The Rebels, in their first meet of the season, posted a respectable 9.3 average with a nice Round 5 where they scored an 11 to tie Storm. Perris Helion rounded out the AAA division with an 8.0 average. This team of experienced skydivers is one to watch this season.

In the AA Class, Elsinore Alloy, John Hamilton’s latest player-coach project, took the gold by just two points. The new Elsinore Equinox line-up took the silver medal despite impressive 12’s in the third and fourth rounds of the meet. The bronze went to the Japanese team Shooting Star. The team visits Elsinore every year and chose to participate in the meet this season, which was a good decision considering they will take medals back to Japan with them! The AA Class was rounded out by Perris Quest in forth place with a 4.0 average.

The gold medal in the A Class went to Elsinore Momentum. Rumor has it these folks had just five jumps together prior to the meet.

Thanks should be extended to our meet director Chris Riley, to our judge Mary Beth Koolhaas, God for the blue skies on Sunday, and to Scott Smith for making that tough weather call on Saturday.

…and from the League Director here in sunny DeLand Florida, we had our first FSL meet of the season, but it sure looked a lot like an SSL meet: Eric Gin on Fastrax and Tammy Retig on Fatrax Select; Thomas Hughes and Natasha Montgomery on DeLand Fire; David van Greuningen and Bob Healy Jr. on DeLand Majik; Kurt Disser and Pam Stevens on Jamba (Kurt was visiting DeLand with girlfriend Sabrina, so we picked up Joey Jones and had some fun), and the Golden Knights, who competed at SSL Meet #1 in Eloy.

SSL Meet #3 is scheduled for April 16th at Skydive Arizona, let’s all be there - and plan for a weather day, just in case!

Pamela Stevens, SSL Director