posted Aug 9th, 2012 - The busiest competition week of the 2012 season has begun with the national championships in Norway. Scores of nine other meets will be posted if the weather cooperates everywhere.

The schedule includes four national championships. Norway, Finland, France and the United Kingdom will crown their 4way and 8way champions of 2012 at the end of the week. Germany will follow up next week.

The scores of the first rounds in Norway show the same top of the leaderboard as in 2011. The DeLand Norgies celebrate the next reunion and are still too strong for Norway's national team in the female category. Polaris tied the Norgies in Round 1 for a very exciting start of the competition. However, the Norgies took over control beginning in Round 2. Ernie Bernie was also in 3rd place last year. The competition is scheduled for eight rounds.

Norway Nationals 2012		Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class	6,Q,14	12,19,H	22,L,F,8	20,5,10	D,1,A,11	Total	Avg
1	DeLand Norgies (NO)	19	18	17	15	20	89	17.8
2	Polaris (NO)	19	13	15	13	17	77	15.4
3	Ernie Bernie (NO)	9	7	7	9	7	39	7.8
4	Femme Fatale (NO)	6	6	8	7	8	35	7.0
Rank	A Class	O,J,19	Q,K,E	M,4	G,7	8,L	Total	Avg
1	KFP (NO)	15	21	12	-	-	48	16.0
2	Swingers (NO)	11	16	13	-	-	40	13.3
3	Golden Lockpins (NO)	12	15	11	-	-	38	12.7
4	Ellens Flyboys (NO)	8	11	8	-	-	27	9.0
5	Bifrost (NO)	7	9	8	-	-	24	8.0
6	Air4s (NO)	1	2	2	-	-	5	1.7

The French Nationals 2012 are not a qualification event for the national teams who have been selected long ago by the French federation, manager Jeremie Rollett and the national coaches Marin Ferre and Erwan Pouliquen. However, all national lineups will use the competition as the next test for the World Meet 2012.

The AAA Class competition of the UK Nationals will most likely neither offer any surprises. Satori will defend the national 4way title, and Bodyflight Aerodyne Langar has been selected as UK's national team in the female 4way category, even if another strong pickup team of former female 4way world champions might outscore the national team. The competition for the medals in the other three categories is probably once again the most exciting part of this year's national championships in Hibaldstow.

Finland's national championship is probably open for surprises. Only one AAA Class team has competed at the three previous meets this year, and Honeymoon would not be able to win if any of Finland's 4way veterans came together for the nationals.

Any combination of Pro Team, Tigers or Tarzanelli would easily outscore Honeymoon if they decided to attend the competition. However, there is a dark horse in Finland. The Silver Knights impressed last year with high meet averages (14.5 - 15.0) in the A Class competition. Pro Team members Kimmo Pohjola and Juho Mikkola have been working with the Silver Knights, and the team could be ready for high AAA Class scores this year.

Silver Knights is a military lineup, even though the members train on their own time and expenses. The Pro Team's new lineup may have to be prepared to defend the national title against a new challenger.