posted Oct 7th, 2015 - It's been a good year so far. I just read the August edition of Blue Skies Mag again, where I was quite excited about 4-way development, especially in the Rookie Class. It made me think even more of what's going on in my territory of the skydiving world - and it turns out I feel just as excited when I am checking on one of the newest projects, the Indoor Cloud League activities.

I should explain something else before I begin to express my Indoor Cloud League excitement. The National Skydiving League is now probably mostly known for the SKYLEAGUE.COM website and the "journalistic coverage" of Formation Skydiving competition. However, a closer look into the deep waters of the website shows visitors who are interested enough, that there is much more behind the SUN PATH PRODUCTS NSL NEWS.

Media outlets usually keep archives and post scores and stories. However, SKYLEAGUE.COM was originally created to collect and spread information that came from the National Skydiving League network and its activities, mostly scores and team information. It happened almost 15 years ago that stories and commentary were added to the original purpose.

TURNING POINTS: Exciting Indoor Cloud League World

The current version of the website was created by Craig Buxton in 2004 and the journalistic coverage had come to the point where it was fully integrated in the new design. Then it was cleaned up and modernized by John Kretzschmer in the past two years, while the update of the design continues.

What I am actually trying to say is that the 4-way network of the National Skydiving League was there first, followed by the SUN PATH PRODUCTS NSL NEWS and the other features at SKYLEAGUE.COM. And when I was thinking of the beginnings of the National Skydiving League and the creation of the four categories, including the Rookie Class, it reminded me of the beginnings of the Indoor Cloud League, and I became excited again - 15 years after launching the NSL.

It is exciting to see that the Indoor Cloud League is growing in a very similar way as the National Skydiving League did at the very beginning. It may eventually create another full-time job for somebody... who knows?

However, this is still not the exciting part of the Indoor Cloud League. The real treasure behind the numerous activities that create the monthly leaderboard is the fact that it keeps bringing a serious number of new flyers into the Formation Skydiving competition world.

On top of that, a significant number of Indoor Cloud League participants eventually end up on new 4-way teams. Yes, they show up at the DZs and jump from air planes to turn 4-way and 8-way points.

The Indoor Cloud League is a bridge that more and more flyers are crossing. NSL league directors, such as Lori Connor (NCSL), Deb Correia (NWSL), Jan Klapka (CZSL), passionate 4-way competitors (Amanda Lampton in Texas, Richard Bisson and Katie Woods in Canada, Brian Toohey in New England, myself in Florida) have offered wide-open 4-way doors to any indoor flyer and welcomed them to the regular events.

Indoor Cloud League 2015		Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Total
1	Hurricane Factory (CZ)	189	127	148	149	133	131	112	124	-	-	-	-	1113
2	iFLY Orlando (US)	131	146	121	130	119	126	123	109	-	-	-	-	1005
3	iFLY SF Bay (US)	137	122	110	122	121	115	120	104	-	-	-	-	951
4	iFLY Seattle (US)	120	108	117	112	114	107	127	112	-	-	-	-	917
5	iFLY Dallas (US)	113	112	96	106	103	116	127	138	-	-	-	-	911
6	SkyVenture Montreal (CA)	91	84	83	103	123	138	116	90	-	-	-	-	828
7	SkyVenture New Hampshire (US)	0	0	0	51	49	0	49	0	-	-	-	-	149
8	Indoor Skydive Roosendaal (NL)	0	0	0	0	0	0	26	37	-	-	-	-	63

4-way outdoor competitors are mixing up with new indoor 4-way participants at the events and helping them with coaching and advice. This transfers the addicting ingredients of 4-way competition to the new potential competitors to a certain extent, and eventually they make the trip to the DZs. Then they form new teams and go back to the wind tunnel for 4-way indoor training with their teams. What a perfect symbiosis and circle of business...

There is another component that comes into play at the Indoor Cloud League events. They are not like the usual tunnel training camps that offer skills training and serious 4-way training for interested skydivers. The ICL events are also social events where like-minded people and new flyers can meet and use the network to take the next step.

Yes, it is a competition at the same time but it surely is not as competitive as a real 10-round 4-way competition - indoor or outdoor. Experienced 4-way teams can use the monthly sequences to compare their own performances with other serious teams, as it is happening more and more. However, it is a casual and social competition that connects people and brings new flyers to the formation-skydiving community.

It is very exciting for a brand new indoor flyer to go through the very basics of indoor flying and Formation Skydiving skills first and then apply it shortly afterward with other people flying in the chamber at the same time.

Then they can also watch some of the top performers at the same event, right before or after their own flying session, up close and personal, with their eyes glued to the chamber window. I have heard it many times: "I want to do what they are doing..." Even better: They are at the same place and at the same time, so they can speak with the people they just watched flying. Also, chances are not bad that a mixed group of the ICL event's participants will go for a beer in a nearby bar or restaurant after flying. Then stories are told, and additional seeds are planted.

Smart wind-tunnel operators and owners have been supporting the Indoor Cloud League activities, as they create mutual benefits for everybody. Yes, some of the participants may visit DZs and join the 4-way competition world (and they do) for even more fun. But they will surely come back for the training efforts with their new 4-way teams and use the best training and recruiting tool that formation-skydiving competition has ever had...