posted Nov 14th, 2006 - SkyQuest 2006 once again includes the annual NSL Championship 4-way competition, and the first round of the event is scheduled for Friday afternoon this week. The NSL News has already received several requests in the past to show competition jumps of earlier years on NSL-TV. The upcoming event and the recent headlines of the DeLand Fire and DeLand Groove success gave enough reason to get into the NSL-TV Archives.

The NSL News also created a special page for the NSL champions ever since the inauguration of the league. The first NSL Championship was held in 1998, and the league champions from Florida (DeLand Genesis), Georgia (Mr. Pink) and Texas (Convergence) were invited to Skydive DeLand for a fully sponsored 4-way competition.

These first three regional leagues of the National Skydiving League joined forces in 1998, and DeLand Genesis won the first championship event. The Genesis line-up consisted of Shannon Pilcher, Ian Bobo, Kyle Collins, David van Greuningen and Eric Taylor on camera. Seven years later, Shannon Pilcher and Ian Bobo won the first gold medals at the USPA Nationals 2005, and after eight years they became the current 4-way world champions.

The NSL-TV Archives had a video tape of the Florida Skydiving League's 1998 season on the shelf, which can now be viewed. The Genesis jumpsuits were green by then, and the dive pool was also very different. The sequence of the featured competition jump includes only one Block (Side Body Donut - Side Flake Donut) and one Random Formation (Phalanx), which are still in the current dive pool.

The sequence also includes the unique and historic situation where two blocks were combined for a 3-point block. Side Flake Donut - Side Flake Opal used to be another block in 1998. When both blocks were drawn subsequently, the rules required the combination for a 3-point block.

Most importantly, the video shows how two current world champions performed eight years ago. Shannon Pilcher and Ian Bobo both emphasized in the recent NSL-TV interview how crucial and important the frequent competition practice was for the team and the individuals, especially in the early years of the career.

The NSL News became interested in the facts behind this statement of the interview and reviewed the records of the first NSL/FSL season. DeLand Genesis attended a total of 11 competitions in 1998 (11.7 - 11.5 - 15.0 - 13.0 - 13.0 - 14.2 - 14.0 - 15.0 - 14.8 - 15.7 - 16.2) with a consistent progression. The 16.2 average at the end of the season came along with the bronze medals at the USPA Nationals 1998 in Eloy. In November, DeLand Genesis became the first NSL Champion and has the team name on top of the NSL Shugar Cup.

There was much more DeLand Genesis footage in the NSL-TV Archives. The same line-up competed with the same team name for another year. The second video shows a competition jump at the August meet of the Florida Skydiving League 1999. The same sequence (J-9-19) could also be drawn at any time now.

DeLand Genesis 1999 did not slow down. Competition experience was still a main part of the plan. In fact, the team even increased the number of meets in 1999. Genesis attended nine meets (14.0 - 15.7 - 17.0 - 15.8 - 13.0 - 16.7 - 16.8 - 17.0 - 17.0) of the Florida Skydiving League and competed also at each event (15.5 - 16.5 - 15.3 - 18.0 - 13.8) of the America's Cup.

It was obviously no big surprise that the extremely competitive team peaked at the right time. Genesis posted the highest meet average of the season (19.1) at the USPA Nationals 1999 in Florida.

DeLand Genesis was still not done with the 1999 season. Shannon Pilcher, Ian Bobo, Kyle Collins and David van Greuningen still had to defend the NSL title. The NSL Championship 1999 applied a different competition format with qualification and then elimination rounds. Genesis won the final 2-round jump-off for the gold medals against Ranch Air Traffic (RATs). It was the 16th 4-way competition for the DeLand team in 1999.

The same line-up competed throughout the 2000 season. The current partnership with Performance Designs began for Shannon Pilcher and Ian Bobo when DeLand Genesis turned into DeLand PD Blue in 2000. The team attended each of the eight FSL meets (17.0 - 18.0 - 20.0 - 18.0 - 18.3 - 19.3 - 17.6 - 22.0) and competed at the Valentine's Meet (18.2). The America's Cup added three meets (20.0 - 21.3 - 19.7) to the PD Blue schedule.

The 20.4 average at the USPA Nationals 2000 was rewarded with another set of bronze medals. The NSL Championship 2000 was once again the last meet of the season. DeLand PD Blue won the NSL gold medals for the third time after a victory over Nemesis in the finals. The NSL Championship 2000 was the 13th competition for DeLand PD Blue that year.

Niklas Hemlin joined the PD Blue line-up in 2001 as the official alternate and trained and competed with the team. The competition schedule slowed down. PD Blue 2001 attended three meets of the Florida Skydiving League (19.0 - 20.0 - 18.5) and finished in 4th place at the USPA Nationals 2001 with a 19.1 average.

PD Blue tried to defend the NSL Championship title at SkyQuest 2001 but had to hand over the NSL Shugar Cup to the Golden Knights. It was the first year for SkyQuest in its current format, and the event was hosted by Fantasy of Flight by then. DeLand PD Blue has attended only five competitions in 2001. The third video shows the first round of the NSL Championship 2001.

Current DeLand Groove team mate Solly Williams was Shannon Pilcher's and Ian Bobo's 4-way coach from the very beginning in 1998, as the team picture on the video file shows.

The NSL News records obviously confirm Shannon Pilcher's and Ian Bobo's memories of the early years. The extremely busy competition schedule of the early years provided the experience that helped to move the team and the individuals to the top level of 4-way competition.

No names of the original DeLand Genesis members will make it to the winners page of the National Skydiving League championship this year. However, Shannon Pilcher will compete with Optic Nerve, together with Gary Smith, and Ian Bobo will probably join the Canopy Piloting event of SkyQuest 2006.

NSL-TV will continue to look for interesting footage in the archives, enjoy the DeLand Genesis/PD Blue videos.