posted Sep 17th, 2015 - I have heard it so many times in the last two decades: 4-way is dead. New skydivers turn to the dark side. There is no future in 4-way competition. Yeah, right...

Did you know the largest skydiving competition in the world is a 4-way event? Yup, it's the annual World Challenge at Bodyflight Bedford. Did you know that the World Challenge has grown every single year since the inaugural event in 2006? 12 teams competed then, and 88 this year. And I am talking about belly flying, not VFS or Dynamic or other modern ways of doing 4-way.

Did you know that traditional 4-way competition is by far the most popular event at USPA Nationals and U.K. Nationals, and in fact in all skydiving powerhouse countries on the planet? USPA and BPA compete every year for the highest number of 4-way teams at their national championships. The U.S. teams are still winning but the U.K. teams are getting a little bit closer every year.

TURNING POINTS: Go Rookies

All right, maybe all the old-fart 4-way lovers (like me) just can't let go and we will keep the numbers up until we all die (by old age, not by BASE jumping, or wingsuiting or whatever is new and modern out there). Well then, how about this: Did you know that rookie-class teams have been dominating the 4-way leaderboards this year?

That's a hard punch, isn't it? How can 4-way competition be on its way down if the number of participating teams keeps growing and if the majority of the new teams are 4-way rookies? IT'S A RUMOR - that's the answer. It's a rumor that 4-way competition is dying and that the new-age events are attracting all the new blood.

Here are a few hard facts. I am counting 109 Rookie Class teams on all NSL leaderboards this year. 109!!! Of course, some of them are double, as some teams are so excited that they commit to more and come back to the next meet with the same team name and the same lineup. However, especially in the rookie class, that's not the normal case. Usually, rookie-class competitors join a team for a meet to test the waters and then may come back later at another meet for more.

Some of them never come back in the Rookie Class, as they find the A Class with some piece-flying more appealing. There are quite a few rookies who get the bug right away and commit to a team for a year or even longer. They are usually hooked and gone, as this is only the beginning of an exciting journey into a territory with unlimited growth options - until you are standing at a 27-point outdoor average in the AAA Class...

4-way competition in general is exciting and has been the most popular event as long as there has been skydiving competition. There is still something else going on that has been catching my attention. I think it was the third time this year at the beginning of August when I noticed that the Rookie Class leaderboard was larger than all others on the same meet weekend.

I do not remember many times when that was the case. In fact, the Rookie Class leaderboard usually had the smallest number of teams, and the AAA Class was literally on the top, but sometimes also the AA Class. These two categories are the traditional ones (open/intermediate, or however other countries define their categories). They are the most solid indicator of the progression in participation. This is changing. Now you have to look at the A Class and especially the Rookie Class leaderboard to see what's going on.

It's not really a big surprise to me; how could it be? The NSL has been running programs that use the powerful indoor/outdoor combination to generate new teams and competitors. The recruiting and training programs have been very successful and other league directors, coaches and passionate 4-way fans are running similar programs almost everywhere in areas that have a tunnel nearby. That is almost the whole planet now ...

It's an ideal environment for rookies to join the 4-way fun. I wish I had an environment like that when I began skydiving - heaven it would have been. It took so much time and effort to get to the point of serious 4-way addiction. We really had no clue what was waiting out there. These days, you can see it all right away - and get there within a year. Yes, you can get seriously addicted to 4-way within a year now.

And just you wait, this is only the beginning. The Rookie Class will continue to grow; want to bet on it? There is simple logic behind the bet. The same wind tunnels all over the planet are generating new 4-way flyers day by day, and many of them are very young. We see them already on a regular basis in the flying chambers, at the Indoor Cloud League events and at real 4-way competitions.

Even FAI/IPC has identified the potential and created a new "4-way Junior" category. Hey, if they make a move, then there must be something about it. Officials are usually the last ones to get in motion...

Well, there is only one problem that I see. I may lose this bet, as the new 4-way kids and other flyers coming from the indoor world may not launch their 4-way careers in the Rookie Class. Their skills are advancing much quicker with tunnel time and good instructions. They may skip the Rookie Class and start right away where even more of the 4-way fun is waiting: Flying the pieces and other sophisticated maneuvers in the A Class. All right, maybe I take it back or even change the statement: Rookie Class and A Class both will continue to grow in the near future.

Finally, there is another promising fact behind all of that. Guess what the new Rookie and A Class competitors will do next? Keep in mind that they are probably quite addicted by now. Yes, they will move up into the AA Class and eventually try to get to the 30-average level in the AAA/Open class...

The dream of flight, the future of 4-way competition, begins in the Rookie Class. GO ROOKIES.