posted Jul 13th, 2013 - The Sun Path Products NSL News introduced Germany's 4way team Gamma Ray's new Point Janine Tillenburg with the story on 30 April 2013 and followed up on 9 May 2013 after a team training camp in DeLand.

The midway point of the preparations for the German Nationals 2013 between the first update and Round 1 has passed, and Gamma Ray members Henning Stumpp (Center Inside) and Dennis Gottschalk (Alternate) provided new updates for the Sun Path Products NSL News.

Earlier videos of the spring training camp were showing Gamma Ray only one time with original Center Outside Uli Sehrbrock and two substitutes in his slot when he was grounded due to a flu. The first two new and recent videos are showing the complete lineup in training, while the last one is the 2012 lineup with Point Steffen Schiedeck and the center in different slots.

Gamma Ray trained and competed in 2012, as well. However, not much is the same this year. New Point Janine Tillenburg has replaced Steffen Schiedeck, while Uli Sehrbrock and Henning Stumpp have switched their center slots. The Center Inside slot is new for Henning Stumpp. Uli Sehrbrock is familiar with his new slot from earlier teams.

Both pieces had to learn to know each other from scratch, and the exits were different too. Gamma Ray has completed approx. 70 jumps this year, with 20 of those during the rainy spring training camp.

Henning Stumpp explained that his team needed 13 training days for the first 50 jumps, which accounts for an average of four jumps per day: "This illustrates the similar weather situation in Florida and Germany this year..." He said that Gamma Ray now added 20 jumps in two days.

German Nationals 2012		Rd. 1	Rd. 2	Rd. 3	Rd. 4	Rd. 5	Rd. 6	Rd. 7	Rd. 8	Rd. 9	Rd. 10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class	8,G,L,3	15,9,11	M,H,A,12	22,F,7	Q,D,5,21	2,J,P,14	O,17,8	N,4,6	1,13,E	K,10,16	Total	Avg
1	Paratec-Saar (DE)	18	17	24	19	20	19	19	17	18	15	186	18.6
2	EADS (DE)	16	17	23	17	19	17	19	18	16	16	178	17.8
3	Gamma Ray (DE)	15	16	19	17	17	17	13	13	13	14	154	15.4

The same 20 jumps were supposed to be the first ones for new team videographer Ralph Wilhelm. Unfortunately, he also had to step back after back problems, and the latest footage for the featured NSL-TV clip was shared between different Gamma Ray substitutes on camera (Andrea Jankoski, Wolfgang Hagedorn, Daniel Lamberti).

Gamma Ray added four hours of indoor training time to the team account, where NMP-PCH Hayabusa member Roy Janssen was supposed to work with the team, and he could hardly make it to any of the camps. Gamma Ray's bad luck continued during another scheduled camp with coach Gary Smith on Texel in the Netherlands: "We finally had to give up with temperatures of 12' Celsius on the ground, pouring rain and heavy winds..."

There is still time for more training, as Henning Stumpp explains the plans for the final preparations: "We have four more days with Solly Williams in Saarlouis, one outdoor weekend in Kassel and an hour in the wind tunnel with Roy Janssen, plus two more weekends alone."

Gamma Ray goal is defending the bronze medals successfully. The two German top contenders, Paratec-Saar and EADS, seem to be too far away for Gamma Ray. The only questionmarks are behind the distance to the top of the leaderboard this year and who will be coming from behind (Usual Suspects, Neva, Atomix, Mimikri).

Last year's bronze medalist wants to beat the 2012 Gamma Ray average of 15.4 at this year's German Nationals, which would be a great success with the new lineup and young Point Janine Tillenburg.

She will then re-connect with Gamma Ray alternate Dennis Gottschalk as soon as the outdoor season is over. The international Team 4X brings the couple back together in the active lineup of the indoor team. Janine Tillenburg, Dennis Gottschalk, Rike Kraus and Ludo Havelearts have once again made plans for this year's Grand Prix at Indoor Skydive Roosendaal. Team 4X will have monthly indoor training sessions until November.