posted Jun 8th, 2007 - Last weekend's competition also included the season opener of the Swedish 4-way cup series. Seven teams competed in the Scandinavian country and completed six rounds, five teams in the AAA Class and two teams in the A Class.

The field of AAA Class teams included last year's Swedish top contender, Team Spaï, which came back from the 2006 season with exactly the same line-up: Tobias Alsiö (Center Outside), Mikael Kaulanen (Point), Ulf Liljenbäck (Center Inside), Mats Svensson (Tail), Daniel Åström (Camera).

The NSL audience may remember the dramatic 2006 race between Team Spaï and Team 42 for the one and only slot as the Swedish national team at the World Meet 2006 in Germany. The NSL News reported of this duel regularly last year. Team 42 was finally selected as the Swedish national team after three 10-round meets in Sweden (13.3 - 14.7 - 15.1) and then finished with a 16.2 average at the World Meet 2006.

Team Spaï won the first meet in 2006 (134 - 133), the teams finished tied with 14.7 averages at the second meet, and Team Spaï ended up six points behind Team 42 (145 - 151) at the last and deciding meet. The 2006 season was over for Team Spaï, while Team 42 traveled to Germany right after the conclusion of the last meet in Sweden.

The 2006 season was still successful and encouraging enough for Team Spaï to make plans for the 2007 season. Last weekend's 6-round out-door event was not the first competition for the same line-up this year. Team Spaï already attended the World Challenge 2007 at Bodyflight Bedford in April.

The results in Bedford were already encouraging for the Swedish team and confirmed the decision to move on this year. Team Spaï completed the 10-round in-door competition with a 17.2 average and followed up with a 15.0 average last weekend in Sweden. This sets up the Swedish team at the same scoring level where it finished the 2006 season.

Team 42 was not on the leaderboard of last weekend's AAA Class field after posting an 18.5 average at the World Challenge 2007 in April. Team Spaï did not face the same competition at the first meet in Sweden as last year. In fact, the AAA Class team in 2nd place in Sweden last weekend came from Finland.

The Tigers had traveled back and forth between Finland (August 11), Sweden (June 3, July 27) and Denmark (July 22) throughout the 2006 season, as well. The team is clearly the strongest AAA Class line-up in Finland, even though the Tigers did not attend the national championship last year and missed the World Meet in Germany. Finland had no representation at all at the World Meet 2006.

However, the Tigers continue to compete and to travel since the team's first meet of the 2007 season was last weekend's competition in Sweden. The Tigers had a good start into the 2007 season, as well. Last weekend's 12.2 average after six rounds clearly beat the team's 2006 season average of 11.4 (10.2 - 12.5 - 12.0 - 11.0) and set the pace for the 2007 season. The location of the Tigers' next appearance is unknown at the moment...

Another team from Finland traveled to Sweden last weekend, as well. The Pro Team finished in 3rd place behind Team Spaï and the Tigers with a 10.4 average. Sweet 4 (9.2) and Runt 30 (8.2) completed the AAA Class field in Sweden.

The Swedish Airgangbang competed in the A Class competition of 2006 in Sweden (4.2) and came back at this year's season opener on a significantly higher scoring level. Last weekend's 9.8 average won the first place in Sweden's A Class competition by two points and offered the dominating A Class teams from Great Britain serious competition for the 3rd place on the A Class leaderboard.

Sweden's second team Exigo was in contention for the A Class top positions, as well. A total of 21 teams from Great Britain, Sweden, Germany, Austria, Canada, Arizona, California and the Midwest competed in the A Class last weekend.

Sweden's Chief Judge for Formation Skydiving competition, Zeljko Tanaskovic, provided additional information of last weekend's event, which began with a hickup:

"After a week with rain and cold weather, the summer would finally come to Sweden. It was still a little bit windy Saturday morning, but but the sun was shining from a clear blue sky. The jump plane got started - and stopped... After a hold of three hours the plane was repaired, and the competition finally started. The seven teams still completed four rounds on Saturday and finished the meet with perfect weather on Sunday." The next meet of the Swedish Cup is scheduled for June 30.