posted Dec 2nd, 2006 - The NSL News story on November 14 went back to the beginning stages of the National Skydiving League and the first championship event in 1998. The same story discovered that DeLand Genesis attended 11 meets in 1998 and 16 meets in 1999. Team members Shannon Pilcher and Ian Bobo confirmed in a recent interview that this competition practice was very beneficial for their skydiving career.

The NSL News became even more interested in this part of the NSL history after the championship and Genesis story. The NSL archives provided additional information about other teams with a busy competition schedule for a closer look at this phase of the NSL history.

The 1998 season was also very busy for Arizona Airspeed with Jack Jefferies, Dan BC, Mark Kirkby and Kirk Verner.

The reigning world champions of 1995 and 1997 attended the Valentine's Meet and six America's Cup competitions before winning the 4-way competition at the USPA Nationals 1998.

Team Z-Spot from Zephyrhills in Florida won the USPA Advanced Class competition the same year. Z-Spot, with Mike Hoogsteden, Wendy Hoogsteden, Jim Vandevelden and Ellen Jamett in the line-up, was formed in 1998 and attended a total of 12 meets (6.3 - 7.0 - 8.3 - 8.7 - 10.0 - 10.0 - 9.2 - 9.5 - 9.8 - 10.8 - 11.7 - 11.0) throughout the 1998 season.

The team's first competition was the season opener of the Florida Skydiving League on November 16, 1997. The team career began with a 6.3 meet average on home turf. Sebastian XL (14.3) and DeLand Genesis (11.7) attended the same meet, together with three more teams.

Z-Spot completed ten FSL meets, including two America's Cup events in March (Sebastian) and May (DeLand). The Z-Hills team competed at the NSL Championship 1998 as a guest team before traveling to Arizona for the USPA Nationals.

The efforts of the team, which started from scratch a year earlier from a 6.3 average, were rewarded with USPA gold medals in October 1998 after winning with an 11.0 average, six points ahead of the next team.

Z-Spot continued in 1999 and attended 12 more meets (11.0 - 10.7 - 12.0 - 10.6 - 11.7 - 9.0 - 13.5 - 12.0 - 12.7 - 11.0 - 13.5 - 13.1) with a similar progression.

The same line-up opened the 1999 competition season in January with exactly the same 11.0 average as at the USPA Nationals 1998, even though Z-Spot had moved up a competition class and now had to master the whole dive pool.

The team members already knew after the first team season that enough competition practice would provide the necessary experience with the new dive pool and longer sequences.

Z-Spot attended 11 of the 12 FSL meets in 1999 and delivered a 13.1 average at the USPA Nationals 1999 in Sebastian, which won the bronze medals in the Advanced Class.

The other medal winners at the USPA Nationals 1999 were also very busy teams at the regional league meets. The NSL News will follow up with more stories of the NSL history and the benefits of competition practice very soon.