posted Feb 21st, 2015 - The registration for the Rookie Class competition at the World Challenge 2015 offers an interesting field of teams six weeks before the start of the event.

Five teams have signed up at this point in time, and each of them represents a different country: Belgium (Jetmax) - Norway (VossVind Girls) - Ireland (Skyfall) - Czech Republic (Flying Circus ) - Great Britain (Blackhawk). The Rookie Class teams will have their own indoor world championship in Bedford.

Seven teams from four different countries competed in the Rookie Class last year, and more British teams will probably join the 2015 field later. All four British teams ended up behind the visitors from Czech Republic, Italy and Ireland at the World Challenge 2014. Blackhawk will try to change the Rookie Class outcome this year.

Registered AAA Open: NMP-PCH Hayabusa (BE), SDC Rhythm XP (US), Gavroche (FR), SportLoto (RU), Thunder ISR (BE), Voodoo (ZA), Vision 99 (UK), Bad Boyz (CZ), Anti Matter (UK), Artemis Saumur RealFly (FR), Red Cat (RU), Weembi Lille (FR), Jazz Republic (ZA), Lupus (EE), Funnel Vision (UK), Neugomon (RU), Co-Motion (INT), Not Yet Decided (DK), ACM (UK), Bodyflight Aero (UK), Left Shark Squad (UK), H4O (IE), Eclipse (UK), Skyfool (UK)

Registered AAA Women: Golden Knights (US), HF Chicks (CZ), CZ Ladies (CZ), Les Stunts (BE)

Registered AA Class: Fly Wild (UK), Blue Rebels (GR), No Mercy (PL), Fr4ment (UK), AirRush (DK), ChatterChicks (UK), Equinox (LT), Helix (UK), Ballista (IE), Amost Petite (UK)

Registered A Class: Team Rudi (BE), VossVind Girls (NO), Flyspot Chicks (PL), Satori Aqua (UK), Hybris (DK), Perpetual Chaos (UK), Brain Storming (IT), Funzies (DK), Gravitationally Ambiguous (UK), Bodyflight Black Majick (UK)

Registered Rookie Class: Jetmax (BE), Blackhawk (UK), VossVind Girls (NO), Skyfall (IE), Flying Circus (CZ)

The Rookie Class competition will most likely have a more competitive race for the medal positions this year compared to the HF Chicks runaway victory in 2014 and Panik's dominating 2nd place performance. Even Trajectory from Ireland did not have much trouble winning the bronze medals.

The flying skills of the HF Chicks were far ahead of their competition category a year ago, and they are now coming back in the 4-way Women AAA Class competition. The new Rookie Class field for the World Challenge 2015 brings teams together in Bedford who have collected their first competition experiences before entering the Bodyflight chamber.

Flying Circus from the Czech Republic have attended four of the ETL indoor competitions at the Hurricane Factory this winter season and posted several Rookie Class scores for the Czech Indoor Cloud League group. The Czech delegation seems to have once again strong Rookie Class presence in Bedford.

World Challenge 2014		Rd. 1	Rd. 2	Rd. 3	Rd. 4	Rd. 5	Rd. 6	Rd. 7	Rd. 8	Rd. 9	Rd. 10	Total	Avg
Rank	Rookie	C,A,B	G,P,J	N,Q,D	O,E,K	F,M,L	H,Q,P	G,J,K	E,N,B	D,F,M	O,L,C	Total	Avg
1	HF Chicks (CZ)	30	27	30	30	48	36	28	28	51	22	330	33.0
2	Panik (IT)	23	14	19	22	30	22	18	23	31	20	222	22.2
3	Trajectory (IE)	15	12	13	15	22	13	15	14	25	8	152	15.2
4	Smth Shorter Pls (UK)	6	3	8	9	13	6	8	7	17	9	86	8.6
5	Newtons Nightmare (UK)	6	9	7	6	11	9	9	11	11	6	85	8.5
6	April Fools (UK)	8	5	7	6	13	10	9	3	15	8	84	8.4
7	Back Chatt (UK)	8	5	3	6	8	10	7	9	12	7	75	7.5

Jetmax from Belgium competed in the Rookie Class at the ESL Championship 2013 (9.3) and followed up in the A Class at the ISR Grand Prix (16.8) a few months later. A different lineup came back to Roosendaal in November 2014 and competed again in the Rookie Class. Steven Lopes, Steve Canas, Ludovic Basset and Simon Renard compete for Jetmax in April this year.

Blackhawk will try to defend the indoor home turf after competing in the Rookie Class at the UK Nationals 2014 and then at the Bodyflight Revenge. Catherine Leather, Ash Kemp, Mark Lord and Sue Nuttall won the indoor competition at Bodyflight Bedford in October easily with a 16.4 average, despite a zero in Round 10. Blackhawk has the potential to give the Czech top contender a good run for the Rookie Class medals.

Irish teams have a tradition of competitive performances in the Rookie Class, and the VossVind Girls from Norway have their own wind tunnel to get ready for the World Challenge 2015. Paul Mayer included the Rookie Class competition for the first time in 2010, and UK teams (Gr4ity, Raykipo) won the first two years. Visiting teams took over the Rookie Class in 2012 (Blue Rebels - Pro Team Extended - HF Chicks), and Blackhawk will try to get back to the top of the leaderboard this year - or any other UK Rookie Class teams...