posted Feb 10th, 2014 - The Sun Path Products NSL News reported on 4 February 2014 that Carolina Turbo XP is coming back this year with Nick Grillet in the Tail slot. Joey Coffineau, one of the team's original members, had to be replaced and Nick Grillet has more than enough experiences in the Tail slot to allow Turbo to move on without slowing down.

Nick Grillet grew up on a dropzone, as his father Sandy Grillet has also been a passionate skydiver and 4way competitor. He launched the Northern Plains Skydiving League in 2001, and his son Nick was a part of the NPSL 4way community before he made his first jump.

Sandy Grillet trained and comnpeted with his own team Microburst in the first NPSL years, and it was only a matter of time when Nick Grillet would join the lineup. That happened in 2003 or 2004 according to the Sun Path Products NSL News records.

Nick Grillet has been just as passionate about skydiving and 4way competition as his father. He moved up the 4way ladder step by step and eventually dedicated his private and professional life to skydiving and 4way competition.

Despite all his previous approaches to join one of the top teams in the USA, Carolina Turbo XP is still the first commitment that has the potential to follow a similar path as new Arizona Airspeed member Thiago Gomes has pursued it for many years.

In fact, Nick Grillet was the official alternate for Arizona Airspeed in 2012 and won the USPA Nationals and a gold medal at the Mondial Dubai 2012 in this position. However, the slot as an alternate was not what Nick Grillet wanted, and he continued to look for other opportunities.

Nick Grillet continued with his father's team Microburst until 2006. Then he began to go his own ways, as Sandy Grillet reported in September 2007: "For those who are interested: Somehow Nick was able to finagle his way into getting an invite from the Golden Knights to join their team for the 16-way competition. And somehow he was able to keep from hosing any of the exits as the rear, rear, rear anchor on the exits. And somehow he was able to keep from busting them on any of the rounds. And somehow he was able to keep up on all the points without slowing them down including the 19-point round three. And somehow he was able to ride this out to a silver medal (his first ever medal at the nationals). Could someone order him a larger hat. There'll be no livin' with him now... Thank God he's moving to Florida."

The move to Florida included a job at Performance Designs, a room at Shannon Pilcher's house, and a slot with Teiwaz (Jim "MaliBu" Klinge, Robert Chromy, Kurt Gaebel) for his second experience with the AAA Class dive pool and a 15.3 average at the NSL Championship.

A 16.3 average followed with Team Twisted (Bob Byrne, Rodney Cruce, Nick Grillet, Sean Sweeney) at the Shamrock Showdown 2008. Nick Grillet was still in the front piece at this early part of his 4way career.

He joined Elsinore BTE in 2009 where he met his recently wed wife Melanie "Melsinore", Curtis, by then. Elsinore BTE finished with a 15.1 average at the USPA Nationals. He also had a reunion with his father Sandy Grillet at the end of the year with the PD Ninjas (Chris Ash, Gilles Dutrisac, Sandy Grillet, Nick Grillet) at the NSL Championship.

However, Nick Grillet's very last move of the 2009 season was the SDC Rhythm XP tryouts where he competed with Thiago Gomes for the Tail slot. Thiago Gomes won and Nick Grillet continued to look for other opportunities for the 2010 season.

He found the Speedy Kids where he re-connected with his former Elsinore BTE team mates Melanie Curtis and Steve Simar. Lou Ascione completed the lineup. The Speedy Kids began with a 15.2 average at the Shamrock Showdown and followed up with a 17.3 average at the USPA Nationals.

The end of the 2010 season was also the start of a new Arizona Airspeed cycle. Mark Kirkby was looking for a new lineup and recruited four new members, including alternate Nick Grillet. That was the lineup eventually winning the gold medals of the Mondial Dubai 2012.

However, it was a slow year for the Airspeed alternate, and Nick Grillet competed only a few times with pickup teams, including the USPA Nationals with Team Captain (14.5 - Rodney Cruce, John Silva, Steve Simar).

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
4	SDC Rhythm XP (US)	21	17	15	28	29	23	27	27	19	18	224	22.4
5	Thunder (BE)	20	17	16	27	27	22	27	26	17	17	216	21.6
6	Deland Norgies (NO)	18	16	15	22	26	20	26	26	18	14	201	20.1
7	Explosion	18	17	15	20	24	18	24	23	19	13	191	19.1

The 2012 season was very similar for Nick Grillet. He competed with pickup team Explosion (19.1 - Martin LeMay, Shannon Pilcher, Katie Woods) at the Paraclete XP Outdoor Championship and with AZplosion (17.9 - Melanie Curtis, Ari Perelman, Sally Hathaway) at the USPA Nationals.

His participation with pickup teams continued in 2013 with USA CAN before he made plans for a year with Arizona Prime. Don Burnette, Ari Perelman and Nick Grillet hired player coach Shannon Pilcher and finished with a 19.3 average at the USPA Nationals 2013 - right behind Carolina Turbo XP.

the 20-average benchmark at an outdoor competition is overdue for Nick Grillet and for Turbo, and it will probably fall at the first meet, the Paraclete XP Outdoor Championship 2014. Turbo goals include the 4way top position in the USA and in the world, and they surely match Nick Grillet's goals...