posted Feb 14th, 2012 - It is once again that time of the month shortly after Blue Skies Mag has published the newest issue. The NSL News contributed to the February 2012 edition with a new "Turning Points" story.

SDC Rhythm XP is the main topic this time, embedded in reflections of team projects in general. Skydiving and especially skydiving competition have a big element of individualism. The same counts for most other sports on the competitive level. However, the other sports have established long term clubs, leagues and team projects more than skydiving has so far. Consistency and continuity are the foundation to bring great benefits from media, sponsors and supporters. Rhythm is a new team project, and the NSL News took a closer look at it.

Blue Skies Mag introduces the author, Kurt Gaebel, as the founder of the National Skydiving League (NSL) and Blue Skies Mag's next-door neighbor: "The NSL website, skyleague.com, is the place to go for 4-way formation skydiving news, videos, gossip, results, analysis, and more." Thanks, neighbors...

Turning Points - With Fresh Air and Rhythm into the Future

Arizona Airspeed, Golden Knights. Aerodyne Aerokart NMP-PCH Hayabusa. SDC Rhythm XR..? Well yeah, of course, as a frequent visitor of the NSL website you surely know that name by now. But other than that?

It has always been about Arizona Airspeed and Golden Knights in the U.S. Yes, there was DeLand Majik and DeLand Fire, 4-way world champions in 2004 and 2006, but they came and they left. Too bad that Genesis/PD Blue didn't stick around. I mean, they are out there, Shannon and Ian and Kyle, but there is no Genesis any longer. Perris Fury has been around for quite a few years, but it feels like they have run their time as well. Airspeed is still there... How about Paraclete XP4 and XP8? There's a new team project that may last, hopefully. And not to forget Teiwaz, of course...

But then there is Rhythm—SDC Rhythm XP to be exact. Rhythm is already six years old; that is relatively old for a team project. A team project is like a good wine: It gets better as it ages. It has ups and downs and wins medals or not. But it's out there and offers opportunities and fun. Look at Airspeed— the 4-way and 8-way world begins to shake when Airspeed has an open slot and begins to make phone calls. THAT'S a team project.

So, Rhythm is six years old, with JaNette and Steve Lefkowitz the heart and soul of the project. What are the chances that it will last? Will the earth begin to shake in ten years when Rhythm has an open slot? It caused some serious tremors this year when Rob Radez left the team after his three years. JaNette and Steve Lefkowitz, plus Thiago Gomes, were calling; those names are not as well-known as Mark Kirkby, Craig Girard, or Eliana Rodriguez and yet they still attracted Christy Frikken and Chris Farina to go through a tryout with a few other candidates. That alone is impressive. So, who are they, and how do they do their thing, their team project?

JaNette and Steve Lefkowitz are Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) graduates who got addicted to 4-way formation skydiving training and competition. JaNette made her first jump in2001 and Steve followed in 2005. Yes, that gives them seven years in the sport together. It did not take too long after becoming addicted that they decided to leave their traditional careers behind for a while, maybe forever—who knows? Wouldn't be the first time...

Their trick is that they use their brains and educations very well, not only to memorize complicated 4-way sequences, but to structure and organize their skydiving lives and the Rhythm project professionally and efficiently. They use all the tools to learn and improve quickly: indoor training, always top coaching, physical and mental training, diet. It is actually no surprise that they are where they are after such a short time in the sport.

Look at their last "tryout" event. Somehow this is a scary word, isn't it, "tryout." It sounds like trial— and it is similar to a trial, at least when you do it the Rhythm way. There is an investigation of the candidates first, long before the tryout event takes place. Phone calls to friends, former and current teammates, coaches—no source of information is left out. It makes complete sense when you essentially marry a teammate whom you have to share a lot of time, money, and responsibility with for a long time, and very intensively. Their procedure worked well when they picked Rob Radez, another MIT graduate, as a new teammate. It worked well again when they decided to have Thiago Gomes in the tail slot. Chris Farina was the winner of the recent tryout, and you can expect this to work out very well again.

It is a brutal procedure in a friendly environment. Lovely people they are, no doubt, but they know exactly what they are doing and what they are looking at and for. Consider this: Christy Frikken and Chris Farina were ready to join Rhythm after seriously challenging Airspeed for several years with their own team project. They came from the West Coast to be at the tryouts on the East Coast. It almost feels like the Airspeed merger of East- and West-Coast forces to form the original and legendary lineup in the mid '90s. Maybe it really is the beginning of a new long-lasting and powerful team project like Airspeed.

It is even more impressive considering the fact that Flemming Borup Andersen was, and is, ready to leave Denmark for a slot on a U.S. team. He tried first on the West Coast and then joined Christy and Chris at the tryouts for the Rhythm slot. Rodney Cruce was ready to change his professional life to be a part of Rhythm, and the founder of the NSL wanted to sell the business and move the family to make the team.

Why do mature people go through the pain of having their lives "investigated," expose themselves to scrutiny by the senior team members, make such a big effort to eventually spend a day at the actual tryout event giving blood, sweat, and tears for a slot in a 4-way team? What is it that draws so much attention?

It is a new generation of formation skydiving competitors that the sport needed and that has eventually arrived, just in time. It is fresh and strong air that blows into the formation-skydiving competition sails. It is a new way to do things. It is not really inventing brand-new projects or reinventing any tools, but more like putting the pieces together in a very efficient way and making them work. It is the potential opportunity to be a part of something special and to become a role model for other young teams and competitors who prepare themselves for the next open slot.

The sport has changed and continues to change. It becomes more professional and the learning curve is much steeper than it used to be. The span of an athletic career on the highest level may soon be similar to those in other sports. You can get it all done within a decade—I mean from beginner to world champion. Which would make Steve Lefkowitz a world champion in 2015.

It may happen even faster and earlier. Rhythm is aiming at 2014: Win the USPA Nationals in 2013 to qualify for the World Meet in 2014. The question will then be: Has the Rhythm project become an institution like Airspeed by then? Will it continue? How many other new projects will be there by then?

Sports clubs and teams last forever in other sports. The lineups change year by year, but the names of the clubs and teams never change. That is good for the supporters who can count on continuity. The sport needs new blood, new projects, fresh air, and consistency at the same time. Rhythm has shown all of it. There is reason for great hope that Arizona Airspeed and Golden Knights will have good and more company with long-lasting team projects in the near future.