posted Nov 13th, 2008 - The NSL News has covered the team career of the British 4-way team Satori ever since the team was formed at the beginning of the 2008 season. The first story on 9 January 2008 introduced the lineup and the plans for the first year.

Julia Foxwell (Center Outside), Liz Matthews (Center Inside), Katie Woods (Point), Aaron Faith (Tail) and Ian Ridpath on camera attended six meets this year. Amanda Kemp filled in at one meet for Aaron Faith in the Tail slot. Satori moved up quickly to the top level of 4-way competition in the United Kingom and gave the UK champions of Bodyflight Storm something to work for throughout the whole year.

Satori has already made plans for the 2009 season, as the team members committed to a 3-year plan when Satori was founded. The goals include the first place at the UK Nationals 2009 and the World Championship of Formation Skydiving in 2010. The Satori members are still committed to these goals, even at a time when a personnel change has become inevitable.

The youngest team member, Katie Woods, recently informed the NSL News that her team found out a couple of months ago that Center Inside Liz Matthews is pregnant. She will obviously not be able to train and compete with Satori this year. Katie Woods said that she is still going to be on the team but now as the alternate.

Liz Matthews has been the Satori engine in the Center Inside slot and was a V-Max member. The British female line-up of 2003 and 2004 won the gold medals at the World Meet 2003 in France with a 16.5 average and disbanded after the Malevsky Cup 2004. Her next and last team commitment before Satori was with Aardvark Zulu.

Satori did not hesitate to look for a new team member. Katie Woods said that Lee Love has already joined the team. Satori also has a new videographer. Dave Butterel, who was filming UK's national 8-way team Connextion this year, has made new 2009 plans with Satori and replaces Ian Ridpath on camera. She added that her team will still be working with coach Gary Smith.

The 2009 lineup with Lee Love has already completed three hours in the windtunnel, and "things are starting to go well", as Katie Woods reported. Satori is planning to make 800 training jumps this year, still and once again at Skydive Spain and in Hibaldstow. In addition, the team hopes to complete 30 hours of windtunnel training at Bodyflight Bedford. "So it should be a good year," Katie Woods completed her update.

The British team is confident since the new team member brings in a lot of experience. Lee Love was a member of the legendary UK 4-way team XL that dominated the British 4-way competition for many years and missed bronze medals at World Championships of Formation Skydiving a few times only by a hair. The battles between the DeLand Norgies and XL for the bronze medals in 1999, 2001 and 2003 made it into the history books of Formation Skydiving competition.

Lee Love was in the heat of this XL battle with the Norgies in 1999. He had replaced original XL member Chris Lynn at the end of the 1997 season and competed for the first time with XL and Pete Allum, John McIver, Toby Stafford and Ian Brown (Camera) at the November meet of the Florida Skydiving League 1997, as the NSL News reported on 16 November 1997:

"The national 4-way team from Great Britain took the first place and the lead in the FSL rankings with a new member. After the World Meet 1997, where the team placed 5th, XL had to replace Chris Lynn. Lee Love had just gone through the tryouts during the week prior to the meet, making six jumps with his new team. XL's performance at the first FSL season meet was impressive and showed the same potential as before the personnel change. It looks as if XL will be back to the 17.6 average of the World Meet 1997 and more very soon."

The NSL News was close to the truth by then, as XL with the new member Lee Love finished in 5th place at the FAI World Cup 1998 with a 17.2 average. The XL coverage by the NSL News continued when the team made plans for the 1999 season and the next World Championship of Formation Skydiving. The NSL News reported after the May meet of the Florida Skydiving League 1999 at Skydive Sebastian:

"As unusual as it may sound, Sebastian XL competed as a guest team on their home turf. Last year's Florida Skydiving League champion didn't sign up for the whole 1999 season. The world-class team had set up a different strategy for this season, which unfortunately included less competitions than last year. This meet was XL's first competition after the World Cup in September 1998.

XL is currently working on picking up the pace. Although it's difficult to put good scores on the board while a team is working on speed, XL managed to race through this meet without too many penalties. The 17.7 average at a slow draw like this one already indicates where the British national team may end up at this year's world meet: in medal contention.

Team captain Pete Allum said that they have a lot of fun with the new challenge. He was surprised that there weren't more glitches and busts: 'Only if it falls apart once in a while, you really show that you are trying to change things.' XL will probably compete again at later meets of the Florida Skydiving League."

Sebastian XL of 1999 with Lee Love surely was in medal contention at the World Meet in Australia. In fact, the British team missed the bronze medals by one single point with a 19.0 average. The Norgies had won the first battle.

Lee Love did not continue with XL after the world meet in Australia. He decided to pursue a new career as a commercial pilot, and Steve Hamilton took his slot after a tryout with Rob Stevenson. Seven 4-way years have gone by without Lee Love in the lineup of any of the top 4-way teams. Now he is back and has to pick it up where he left it in 1999 - at about a 19.0 average level. Actually, Satori is not quite there yet. However, the NSL News predicts once again that it will not take very long until Lee Love will score new personal bests with Satori.