posted Apr 2nd, 2007 - The week begins with good news and bad news for the NSL-TV audience. The good news is the fact that the best jump of Round 7 can now be viewed on NSL-TV. The bad news is the fact that only a total of four videos could be uploaded. Fortunately, only jumps of Round 7 are missing. Round 8 will most likely feature the whole field of teams again.

Round 7 was the beginning of the second competition day at the FSL Shamrock Showdown 2007. It began as the Saturday had already ended. Team Fastrax took control of the world-class competition in DeLand. It was too late to catch up with Airspeed Odyssey. However, the second half of the Shamrock Showdown became a Fastrax show of strength.

Airspeed Odyssey had won the first day of the competition with 137 points over the Golden Knights (135), Team Fastrax (132) and DeLand Groove (128). The second day had a very different result. Team Fastrax won the four rounds on Sunday with a total of 95 points over Airspeed Odyssey (93) and the Golden Knights (87).

However, the Fastrax winning streak began already earlier. Fact is that John Hart, Doug Park, Thomas Hughes, Niklas Hemlin and Steve Redinbo (Camera) did not give up one single point after Round 5. Team Fastrax posted the highest score for each round of the second half of the competition, two sole highscores and three tied ones.

The numbers of the two halves of the competition shows Team Fastrax in an even stronger position. Airspeed Odyssey won the first five rounds by seven points over Fastrax (114 - 107) and ended up five points behind (115 - 120) for only the last five rounds.

Fastrax had the strongest momentum in Rounds 6 and 7 where the team reduced the 7-point deficit after Round 5 to only three points. However, Airspeed Odyssey recovered after Round 6, and both teams went neck-to-neck throughout the remaining three rounds. Odyssey had already worked out the winning edge in the first five rounds and defended the 3-point lead successfully.

Round 7 of Team Fastrax can now be viewed on NSL-TV, and the 3-team competition in the mid-field between Optic Nerve, Fastrax Blue and Teiwaz can also be followed through Round 7. Optic Nerve, with Shannon Pilcher, Solly Williams and Gary Smith, continued on the second day of the meet, while DeLand Groove missed Ian Bobo to complete all ten rounds.

Dr. Joel Shugar's line-up with the three world champions had taken the lead in Round 5 and shook off first Teiwaz and then Fastrax Blue round by round. The competing eye surgeon completed the 10-round meet in DeLand with the highest meet average of his skydiving career.

Teiwaz changed the line-up on the second day of the meet. Former Fastrax member Billy Andrews took the tail slot for Jim Klinge who was not available on Sunday. Billy Andrews was welcomed as the newest and 35th member of the Teiwaz line-up. He was busy on Saturday as the coach for Tunnel Chaos and filled the open Teiwaz slot on Sunday.

It was once again no big surprise that Team Fastrax won Round 7 of the Skins Game after handicap, as well. Airspeed Odyssey still had the highest average and was the benchmark for the handicap system. Fastrax performed on the team's own top level in Round 7, which is necessary to win a round after handicap.

Sun Path Products had sponsored Round 7 with $300 cash, and Bev Suits added team discounts to the skin for this round. Team Fastrax had now collected a total of $650 after winning Rounds 4, 6 and 7 after handicap. It was not the end of the Fastrax run after the money...