posted Mar 9th, 2007 - Round 5 of the Valentine's Meet 2007 had one of the fastest AAA Class sequences of the competition in Eloy. In fact, the three random formations and Block 5 (Opal - Opal) indicated that it might be the fastest round of the 10-round meet. The other faster rounds (1 and 8) included slower blocks (22 and 14).

The mirror image or slot switcher that comes along with Block 5 made the sequence more challenging. Eventually, Round 5 turned out to be only in second place (121 - 114 - 109), according to the scores of the six AAA Class teams that completed all ten rounds.

Round 5 is probably also the most interesting round of the competition since the training videos of the same jump by Team Fastrax and the Golden Knights are also available for reviews. It is indirectly the first time that this year's three US top contenders are on NSL-TV with the same jump.

This year's dangerous underdog, Perris Fury, and the French national team from Maubeuge complete the world-class AAA Class field featured with the sequence of Round 5. The videos of all the other teams that competed at the Valentine's Meet 2007 are also once again available for the NSL-TV audience.

The challenges of the sequence for Round 5 were confirmed by the scores. Only Team Fastrax made it through the sequence without any obvious infringements and completed 27 points within working time for the training jump.

It was a more turbulent round for the other teams. Perris Fury was apparently as clean as Fastrax. In fact, Fury also had a great start and kept up with all other top teams on the first page (7.38 seconds). Only France Maubeuge was significantly faster (6.62 seconds).

However, the NSL clock had the 25th scoring point for Perris Fury within working time, while the official score in Eloy was 24 points. The home judges of the NSL-TV audience can help to find the infringement or use the stop watch for a more accurate timing.

The fastest first page did not get the French national 4-way team anywhere in this round. France Maubeuge was on track throughout the first four pages. The 5th page brought trouble around Block 5 and slowed down the pace. The French team completed 24 points in time and received 23 points as the official score. The NSL Forum is once again open for comments about the infringement.

Airspeed Odyssey did not get through Round 5 without trouble, as well. Odyssey matched the Fastrax number of points within working time (27) but lost a point in the judging room for an official score of 26 points. There is the next opportunity for the NSL home judges...

Last not least, the Golden Knights admitted a flaw in their training jump. The 29 points within working time stood obviously for the fastest pace of Round 5, one Opal - Opal and the next Stairstep Diamond faster than Team Fastrax and Airspeed Odyssey. Even the 30th point, the next Crank, was just barely out of time (35.04 seconds).

The Golden Knights had a very special engineering for this round and increased the distance to the other top teams on each page. The Army team's style is also very agressive and energetic, and the 2007 line-up seems to be ready to take on Fastrax and Odyssey live at the FSL Shamrock Showdown 2007.

However, there was also an infringement within the 35 seconds of working time, and the Golden Knights deducted a point for an inofficial score of 28 points. The NSL home judges can also look for this infringement and discuss the flaw.

The first NSL-TV on-line showdown between the Golden Knights, Team Fastrax and Airspeed Odyssey started the 8-day countdown to the first round of the real and live showdown in DeLand on March 17 - 18. A total of $3,700 is in the jackpot for the popular Skins Game at the moment. The cashier is still open for companies that would like to be a part of the annual east coast season opener.

The AA Class teams in Eloy enjoyed their own showdown going into the last round of the west coast's season opener. The scores of Round 5 brought all three teams as close together as never before in this meet.

The Ficken Chuckers, with Airspeed's Andy Honigbaum, won the round with a 9-pointer and reduced the distance to the leader, Down 5 with Eric Gin, to only two points (40 - 38). Black Ice, with Airspeed's Todd Hawkins, lost the 1-point lead with the lowest score of six points in this round and held the second place by one point (39). Round 6 would bring the conclusion of this exciting AA Class race. Round 5 was also the only round where A Class team Flailspeed won by one point over Donkey Punch.