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Did You Know...

... that ZeBone played the hand that was dealt to the team?

Boarding at the Shamrock Showdown 2005
posted Nov 5th, 2013 - The Sun Path Products NSL News story on 14 October 2013 covered the Advanced Class competition at the USPA Nationals 2013 and featured the winner of the gold medals, ZeBone. The story's headline pointed out that the ZeBone story began in 2005, and NSL-TV succeeded in finding competition videos of Team Jamba at the Shamrock Showdown 2005 in the archives.

The audience now has the opportunity to watch Sabrina Graham and Kurt Disser fly with Joey Jones and Pamela Stevens in the AA Class and then compare with ZeBone of 2013 at the USPA Nationals with Andy Honigbaum and Jan Lane.

Kurt Disser explained for the Sun Path Products NSL News that the Jamba lineup at the Shamrock Showdown 2005 was not a part of a player coaching project. He said Pamela Stevens had put together the Jamba lineup the night before the meet, and they enjoyed flying with Joey Jones after meeting him for the first time in DeLand. It was still the beginning of Sabrina Graham's and Kurt Disser's 4way career together after they had been on different 4way teams before.

Shamrock Showdown 2005Rd. 1Rd. 2Rd. 3Rd. 4Rd. 5Rd. 6Rd. 7Rd. 8Rd. 9Rd. 10TotalAvg
RankAA Class11-115-8F-20-9P-L-67-Q-21E-4-K19-1422-218-A-C13-B-DTotalAvg
1Jamba781214810887 12949.4
Jamba 2005
ZeBone 2013
Jamba/Izeet Gonna Blow at the USPA Nationals 2005
image by: Omniskore
Sabrina Graham and Kurt Disser followed up on the Shamrock Showdown 2005 a few months later at the June meet of the Mideast Skydiving League. They joined forces with Tom Bohm and Steve Shorten, competed under the same team name Jamba and finished with almost exactly the same meet average in the AA Class. The same lineup then competed at the USPA Nationals 2005 under Izeet Gonna Blow and posted a 10.1 average in the Intermediate Class.

Their previous teams had the common history of not practicing too much and enjoying competition, which continued with ZeBone.

Sabrina Graham and Kurt Disser are actually both from Indiana and not from California. Kurt Disser said that the geographic proximity of all of the ZeBone 2012 and 2013 members was actually a factor in starting with this lineup. Sabrina Graham and Kurt Disser were just trying to find people for some tunnel training and jumping to stay current at the beginning of 2012. They ended up hanging out with Andy Honigbaum and Jan Lane and discussing their plans.

USPA Nationals 2012Rd. 1Rd. 2Rd. 3Rd. 4Rd. 5Rd. 6Rd. 7Rd. 8Rd. 9Rd. 10TotalAvg
RankAAA/Advanced Class3,B,K,HF,7,22O,4,D,13A,M,11,8N,P,G,19L,20,15,16,J6,21,1218,17,10E,C,Q,15TotalAvg
GVibe (US)2117161718151714131916716.7
GDubai Asaar Red (AE)1717161620141914111816216.2
1Air Force Paradigm (US)2114171617101511111915115.1
2Air Force Legacy (US)2014131317141712131815115.1
GDubai Asaar Gold (AE)1717151416131614111715015.0
3ZeBone (US)151414161812151281513913.9
ZeBone after landing from Round 10 at the USPA Nationals 2013
The group eventually decided in about May 2012 to try some tunnel flying together as a team and liked the results and the potential. ZeBone was born, and the team planned to get together 2-3 days per month for training.

Kurt Disser said that they added to the challenge by leaving their most familiar slots. Sabrina Graham had made almost all of her 4way jumps in the Point slot and had approx. 150 jumps as the ZeBone Tail by the time of the USPA Nationals 2013. She has a total of approx. 770 jumps. She is also responsible for the home made jump suits that she and Kurt Disser were flying to the gold medals this year...

ZeBone went into the USPA Nationals 2012 with 32 training jumps as a team and some indoor training. 16 of the team jumps were competition rounds at the Midway Battle and at the September meet of the Carolina Skydiving League. ZeBone was happy with the performance at the USPA Nationals 2012 and decided to do some more in 2013. Paraclete XP supported the ZeBone 2013 plans, Eric Bobenhausen continued on camera, and the foundation was set.

USPA Nationals 2013Rd. 1Rd. 2Rd. 3Rd. 4Rd. 5Rd. 6Rd. 7Rd. 8Rd. 9Rd. 10TotalAvg
RankAAA/Advanced ClassG,9,C,PF,5,151,E,84,M,7H,N,B,O,314,20,LQ,K,12,1711,16,1910,A,182,22,DTotalAvg
1ZeBone2117141619121514101315115.1
2Dallas En Fuego2116141319121212121114214.2
3Air Force Eufouria171514162213101281113813.8
4Dallas Khaos Black2112141516121410101213613.6
5Dallas 35021141417181214711713513.5
Gold medals for ZeBone at the USPA Nationals 2013
Things turned out differently than expected, with all the problems that any amateur team can be challenged with, and ZeBone eventually headed to Skydive Chicago with 60 training jumps as a team and some tunnel time. The results are well known by now.

Kurt Disser contributes much of the ZeBone success to the team's great chemistry. All four members worked together on the block techniques and the team's flying style. Andy Honigbaum still had the final word as the most experienced competitor in the team - and he was always right, Kurt Disser pointed out.

ZeBone was obviously not training that much but used their resources wisely and under great guidance. Kurt Disser also said that they learned "to play the hand that was dealt to us". The result was a waterproof lineup that kept it together for ten rounds at the USPA Nationals 2013...

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