posted Feb 8th, 2014 - The Sun Path Products NSL News recently posted the first overview of the teams who are registered early for the World Challenge 2014. It was another preview or review of indoor events that have taken place in the winter months or are coming up soon.

The drought of the outdoor coverage will soon be over, as the annual Valentine's Meet is once again the beginning of the 2014 competition season. Then the first major event, the Paraclete XP Outdoor Championship 2014, will bring together the best teams in the world at the beginning of March.

The registered teams for the Paraclete XP Outdoor Championship 2014 once again promise a small version of the World Championship of Formation Skydiving, and this year's field is even better than ever.

4way AAA/Open: Arizona Airspeed (US), NMP-PCH Hayabusa (BE), Maubeuge Aerodyne (FR), Evolution (CA), SDC Rhythm XP (US), Sunny Wind (RU), VAF Warriors (DK), Voodoo (ZA), Carolina Turbo XP (US), China (CN), Dubai Asaar (AE), Tigers (FI), Vision 99 (UK), Hexagon (SE), Nova (SE), Teiwaz (US), Bonobos (INT)

4way AAA/Women: Aerodyne French Girls (FR), Golden Knights (US), Fire (SE)

8way Open: Golden Knights (US), Aerodyne Maubeuge (FR)

4way VFS: Team4speed, Evolution (CA)

The best three 4way Open Class teams in the world (Arizona Airspeed, NMP-PCH Hayabusa, Aerodyne Maubeuge) will check each other out five months before the world meet in Prostejov, Czech Republic, while Canada's national team Evolution will show whether the three Lemay brothers with Katie Woods have a chance for medals this year or not.

It's not only the best of the best in the 4way Open Class competition. The two best female teams in the world, Aerodyne French Girls and Golden Knights, will also have their first outdoor showdown this year. The same teams in 4way Open and 4way Women will also compete at the Paraclete XP Indoor Championship 2014 on the previous weekend.

It gets even better - if this is possible. The Golden Knights and Maubeuge Aerodyne, gold and silver medal winners in 8way at the Mondial Dubai 2012 have agreed to compete in DeLand, as well. It's the first outdoor competition for the new French national lineup.

Shamrock Showdown 2008		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	18,7,15	9,10,14	4,F,M,A	L,H,E,6	3,P,5	G,C,J,D,B	12,13,Q	1,16,20	21,N,O,2	19,11,22	Total	Avg
1	Airspeed Odyssey (US)	21	22	32	30	25	42	22	17	22	19	252	25.2
2	Maubeuge (FR)	21	18	30	28	24	45	21	19	22	19	247	24.7

Shamrock Showdown 2009		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	12,P,10	17,5,16	Q,8,O,F	18,22,M	13,21,4	B,L,1,H	2,14,20	6,11,J	19,15,G	K,7,C,3	Total	Avg
1	Airspeed Odyssey (US)	21	23	30	21	21	29	18	23	21	22	229	22.9
2	Aerodyne Maubeuge (FR)	21	24	27	21	19	28	16	23	21	26	226	22.6

This is still not the end. Two of the best VFS 4way teams in the world, The French Team4speed world champions and Evolution, will also have their own showdown in DeLand. Team4speed are the reigning VFS 4way world champions of 2012 and come back in 2014 with the same lineup as in 2013.

Evolution will have the first test of the double duties. The three Lemay brothers Martin, Vincent and Benoit are competing in both 4way Open and 4way VFS. Jean-Christophe Ouimet is the fourth VFS member. It will be a tough test, as both events run parallel at the Paraclete XP Outdoor Championship 2014.

The competition in DeLand is promising a great preview in all four Formation Skydiving categories of what will possibly happen later this year in Prostejov.

Shamrock Showdown 2010		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	12,2,B	E,K,M,H,11	L,3,22	C,4,18	13,D,J,1	20,16,17	Q,14,8	O,F,6,10	21,G,9	P,19,5	Total	Avg
1	Aerodyne Aerokart (FR)	21	32	21	19	26	21	22	26	29	27	244	24.4
2	NMP-PCH Hayabusa (BE)	20	33	17	22	23	19	19	22	26	22	223	22.3

It is not new for the regular Sun Path Products NSL News audience that the Paraclete XP Outdoor Championship usually provides a very accurate forecast of the later results in a world meet year.

The event generated the future world champions every single time in the recent history of Formation Skydiving competition. The three medal winners in the 4way Open Class of 2012 in Dubai competed in DeLand in 2011 and 2012. Arizona Airspeed won both years, while NMP-PCH Hayabusa and Aerodyne Aerokart switched their positions between the Shamrock Showdown 2011 and the Paraclete XP Outdoor Championship 2012. The results at the Mondial 2012 were exactly identical with the ones in March 2012 in DeLand.

Shamrock Showdown 2011		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	N,H,3,1	J,4,C,13	7,17,19	B,20,15	12,22,M	F,18,2	E,16,9	G,8,21	P,A,11,14	10,Q,D,L	Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed (US)	25	25	25	24	20	25	30	22	24	29	249	24.9
2	Aerodyne Aerokart (FR)	23	24	23	24	19	23	29	23	24	24	236	23.6
3	NMP-PCH Hayabusa (BE)	21	23	22	23	19	21	28	20	22	29	228	22.8

Paraclete XP Outdoor 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	Q,8,H,22	16,19,13	10,14,2	E,C,20,K	5,M,9	A,6,F,17	D,21,N,B	P,O,G,J,1	18,4,7	12,15,3	Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed (US)	25	20	18	35	36	25	33	31	23	20	266	26.6
2	NMP-PCH Hayabusa (BE)	23	21	20	33	34	29	30	30	20	21	261	26.1
3	Aerodyne Aerokart (FR)	23	21	19	33	29	28	28	29	23	21	254	25.4

The story of the DeLand showdown between the best teams in the world began in 2008 when Airspeed Odyssey defeated Maubeuge in March in DeLand and then again in August at the world meet in Maubeuge, France.

The same two teams came back a year later and finished with the same outcome, just a little bit closer to each other.

Airspeed Odyssey skipped the Shamrock Showdown 2010, and NMP-PCH Hayabusa visited instead and for the first time. Aerodyne Aerokart won clearly in DeLand and became the new 4way world champions in Menzelinsk 2010 half a year later.

Paraclete XP Outdoor 2013		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	6,17,15	B,11,16	18,N,22	9,4,F	J,E,C,3	K,O,12,M	5,D,8	Q,13,14	G,7,H,10	1,20,21	Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed (US)	21	23	19	28	33	20	22	19	25	19	229	22.9
2	Barkli (RU)	20	22	21	27	27	27	22	18	21	19	224	22.4
3	Evolution (CA)	17	21	16	28	27	24	21	20	19	16	209	20.9

Next year, all three top teams competed together for the first time at the Shamrock Showdown 2011, and they came back in 2012. Arizona Airspeed won both events and became the new 4way world champions at the Mondial 2012.

Last year, NMP-PCH Hayabusa and Maubeuge Aerodyne both took a break, and Arizona Airspeed, again with a new lineup, edged out Barkli and won the event for the 6th time since 2007. In fact, Arizona Airspeed has never lost the Shamrock Showdown/Paraclete XP Outdoor Championship yet. The only time another team won the event was when Airspeed did not attend in 2010.

This recent history of the event makes it even more exciting. NMP-PCH Hayabusa is the top favorite this year. Winning the Paraclete XP Outdoor Championship 2014 would almost guarantee the gold medals in Prostejov. Another Airspeed victory could change the whole picture...