posted Mar 17th, 2008 - The weekend of the FSL Shamrock Showdown 2008 was a very busy time for the NSL News. The NSL was also in charge of the meet management at Skydive DeLand, and the NSL News journalist competed at the same time. However, the scores were posted throughout the course of the meet, and NSL-TV has uploaded the first meet videos for the valued audience.

The Shamrock Showdown 2008 made history in Formation Skydiving competition in many ways. It was obvious even before the start of the event that the field of teams promised world-class 4-way competition. There was the potential for a new and very special record in the history of Formation Skydiving competition.

The highest number of teams posting or breaking a 20-average at the same outdoor competition was six until last weekend. USA (DeLand Fire - 23.4), France (Gap Nice Icarius Autrement - 22.2), Italy (Sinapsi PD - 22.0), Russia (Sky Panthers - 21.8), Norway (Arcteryx - 21.0) and Belgium (Spa Hayabusa 20.4) was the 6-team group above 20.0 after five rounds at the World Championship of Formation Skydiving in Germany 2006.

Belgium (Hayabusa Defence - 22.9), France (Maubeuge - 22.8), Russia (Sky Panthers - 22.9), Russia (Black Cat - 22.0), Norway (Arcteryx - 20.3) and France (Aerokart Seloger - 20.0) tied this record at the World Cup 2007 in Russia.

The World Meet 2006 was only a 5-round competition. However, the same six teams would have most likely been above 20.0 after ten rounds, as well. No US teams competed at the World Cup 2007, which was the only reason why the number of teams at or above 20.0 was not higher than six.

It still is what it is, and fact is that the final leaderboard of the FSL Shamrock Showdown 2008 has nine teams that posted a 20.0 average or higher. Only three teams completed all ten rounds (Airspeed Odyssey, France Maubeuge and Canada Evolution) after a meet that was interrupted several times by weather holds.

Russia's Black Cat completed nine rounds, and three more teams above 20.0 average (Golden Knights, Team Fastrax, DeLand Groove) were finished after eight rounds. Perris Fury had to leave after Round 6. Guessing the results of these teams after ten rounds is pure speculation. However, each of the teams in the first eight positions would have finished above 20.0 after ten rounds, as well. It was the best 4-way field that any 4-way competition in the history of Formation Skydiving competition has ever experienced.

The judges (Eric Heinsheimer, Jukka Olkkonen) did not make it easy for the teams. In fact, the opposite situation was the case in DeLand last weekend. Golden Knight Eric Heinsheimer had announced from the very beginning that he expected the teams to show him on the videos what he wanted to see: correct formations, clear breaks and presentation.

He did not accept anything else than that, and his sharp and well trained eyes caught any possible infringements of the rules. FAI judge Jukka Olkkonen from Finland, who brought his DDC Score Systems to DeLand, said after the meet that he has never been at a competition that had as many penalties on the score sheets as at the Shamrock Showdown 2008.

High scores require a competition draw that is on the faster side. The FSL Shamrock Showdown has the tradition to include a manual competition draw during the opening ceremony on Friday evening. The participating teams draw the sequences from a hat, which was actually the Malevsky Cup 2002 trophy this time, while they are being introduced to the audience.

Fastrax Blue, the US national team in IPC's female category, was responsible for the sequence of Round 6. The combination of the five random formations was not the fastest one in the history of competition draws. However, it was fast enough to allow France Maubeuge's 45-pointer, which stands for another unofficial world record. The NSL News will evaluate the whole competition draw soon.

The FSL Shamrock Showdown 2008 surely had the atmosphere of a first-class world meet. The 27 teams from ten different nations included eight official national teams (USA Airspeed Odyssey, France Maubeuge, Canada Evolution, USA Fastrax Blue, Norway Fortitudo, Germany Chicas, Danish Blaze, Iceland Bangsimon). Russia's Black Cat and Sweden's Blue Spirits still have to qualify for this year's world meet in France.

The four different competition classes added to the unique situation last weekend. Two Rookie Class teams (Cold Turkey and Embry Riddle's Down With The Syndrome) competed next to the best teams in the world and used the opportunity to experience a very special atmosphere.

The NSL News will offer more detailed information of the teams with the upcoming stories. The videos of the first round of the Shamrock Showdown are now available on NSL-TV.