posted Sep 4th, 2008 - As many other countries, Austria held the national championships after the World Meet 2008, as well, and wrapped up the 2008 competition season on the July 30 weekend. It was a slow year in Austria prior to the national championship. However, the last competition of the 2008 season attracted a total of 12 teams to the competition site in Linz.

Monkey Circus, defending Austrian 4-way champion, with Thomas Haber (Center Inside), Christian Royer (Tail), Werner Trummer (Center Outside), Horst Scheiber (Point) and Roland Habel (Camera) in the lineup, won the Austrian Nationals 2008 once again with a 14.7 average.

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The same lineup had already represented Austria at the World Meet 2008 earlier in August. Monkey Circus finished in Maubeuge with a 14.5 average, tied with the Tigers from Finland in 16th place.

The Austrian national team had once again bad luck with injuries this year. Point Horst Scheiber had recovered last year from a serious injury and could join the team just in time for a short but successful 2007 season.

Then team captain and Center Outside Ewald Salcher hurt his shoulder at the beginning of the 2008 season and was not able to train or compete with his team this year. Werner Trummer filled his slot and was planning to train and compete with Monkey Circus throughout the World Meet 2008. Ewald Salcher was hoping to be back in action by the time of the Austrian Nationals 2008. Werner Trummer would then step back and be available as the team's alternate.

Monkey Circus could have hardly found a better substitute since Werner Trummer is a former FILA member, the Austrian national team that dominated the 4-way competition in Austria until the 2006 season. Monkey Circus could continue with him without much hesitation at all. His FILA team had already disbanded when Monkey Circus needed help.

Everything turned out exactly as planned and hoped for. Ewald Salcher was not able to make any training or warmup jumps until the team came back from the World Meet 2008. Then the original lineup completed 19 team jumps to prepare for the national championship.

Once again, the transition was very smooth, and Monkey Circus won the 10-round competition with a 14.7 average. This was almost identical with the results at the World Meet 2008 (14.5 after six rounds).

Monkey Circus lost six points due to infringements and was almost back to the highest scoring level of the previous years.

Monkey Circus was founded at the end of the 1999 season. Ewald Salcher and Christian Royer were eager to enter the competition world and add some excitement to their skydiving careers. They found two Austrian skydiving students who had just completed their first year in the sport: Horst Scheiber and Thomas Haber. Another student, Bernd Mattersberger, committed to film the brandnew team.

The same lineup, with different team videographers (Bernd Mattersberger 2000 - 2002, Hans Rossmann 2003, Roland Habel 2004 - 2008) has competed nationally and internationally every year ever since. Only injuries caused changes in the lineup here and there, and the last two years were difficult for Monkey Circus in the health department. The progression chart reflects these adjustments in the personnel situation to a certain extent.

It is naturally challenging for an amateur team to maintain a consistent progression. However, the scores are obviously not the main reason for Monkey Circus to continue year after year. In fact, another light year is ahead for the Austrian 4-way champion of the past two years.

Ewald Salcher told the NSL News that Monkey Circus has plans for only approx. 80 training jumps in 2009.

This might create a more competitive 4-way situation in Austria next year. He said that the team in 2nd place this year, the Ravens (Patrick Kosmus, Kurt Seinitzer, Thomas Machinger, Andreas Schalk, with Bernhard Rom on camera), are young and performed very well at the Austrian Nationals 2008.

The Ravens is a combination of two former national champions and world meet competitors with FILA and two new and talented 4-way competitors. All four members are between 25 and 26 years of age. The FILA/Ravens combination continued the FILA 4-way tradition with this new lineup, completed 120 training jumps this year and finished with a 13.8 average, only nine points behind Monkey Circus.

Ewald Salcher and his team mates were impressed with the Ravens progression and congratulated the team after the meet for a great performance. He now expects the Ravens to seriously challenge his own team in 2009. However, Monkey Circus is back together with the original lineup and will be ready to defend the title.

Monkey Circus also won the 8-way competition of five teams at the Austrian Nationals 2008 with an 8.7 average. "Ten Monkeys" was the original lineup of the Austrian 8-way team that competed at the World Meet 2004 in Croatia. The combination of FILA and Monkey Circus had finished in 8th place of ten nations with a 9.1 average.

The Austrian Nationals 2008 was a successful reunion for the 2004 lineup: Christian Royer, Ewald Salcher, Horst Richter, Horst Scheiber, Kurt Seinitzer, Markus Tunst, Patrick Kosmus, Roland Habel, Thomas Haber, Werner Trummer.

The FILA/Ravens versus Monkey Circus duel will have a new edition next year, and the NSL News will follow the developments in Austria throughout the 2009 season.