posted Nov 3rd, 2019 - The October meet of the Arizona Skydiving League on Arizona Airspeed's home turf in Eloy featured a world-class pickup team in 1st place on the AAA Class leaderboard that was directly related to a topic that has not received much attention by the NSL News yet.

The exciting 4-way Open Class battle between SDC Rhythm XP and Airspeed at the USPA Nationals 2019 has created more than enough headlines and discussion, including the history and the lineups of the new U.S. 4-way champion and national team. The situation of Arizona Airspeed going into the USPA Nationals and the re-match at the FAI Outdoor World Cup received attention, as well.

There is still another interesting topic that relates to Airspeed's situation after former point Ari Perelman left the team three months before the team's most important U.S. competition of the year. Airspeed still need a new lineup.

Matt Davidson stepped in, first only to help out until after the world cup, and it was impressive how quickly Airspeed caught up to Rhythm's performance level within three months. He knew already after the USPA Nationals that he will most likely commit to a longer time period as a new Airspeed 4-way member. It was also a fact that inside center Thiago Gomes would leave Arizona after the world cup. Airspeed still needed a new team member.

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Arizona Skydiving League October 2019		1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class	8,G,10		4,12,B		F,A,M,20		1,11,15		17,9,13		C,O,5,6		D,H,7,E		Q,22,3		Total	Avg
1	Joey Who ???	17		18		22	-3	14		21		18	-2	32	-1	16	-2	158	19.8
2	AZ Defiance	8		8		16		9		11		10	-1	19		11		92	11.5
3	Frostbite	8	-1	10		19		7	-4	7	-1	13		13	-2	8		85	10.6
Rank	A Class	8,G		4,B		F,A,M		19,L		9,J		C,O,6		D,H,7		Q,P,E		Total	Avg
1	Smash the Patriarchy	6	-2	6	-1	15	-2	7	-1	8	-1	9		9	-1	5	-4	65	8.1
2	Eggplant 7.0	6		2		14	-2	6		11		6	-1	8		7		60	7.5
3	Mikhail's Navy	4		6	-1	11		6		8		5		6		1	-1	47	5.9
4	SkyRyders	2		1	-1	0		1		2		2	-1	0		2		10	1.3

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Hiklas Hemlin and Mikhail Markine continue, and team videographer David French said that he plans to continue throughout the 2020 season, as well. Matt Davidson has joined Niklas Hemlin and Mikhail Markine and will probably replace Thiago Gomes' as inside center. There is still an open slot, and Airspeed has begun with the search for the 4th member in the active lineup.

That's where the October meet of the Arizona Skydiving League connects with Airspeed's situation. The Joey Who??? lineup included Joey Marshall in the point slot and inside center Michelle Karamon, both team members of Ranch 2nd Generation.

Michelle Karamon is Eliana Rodriguez' partner in the Arizona Skydiving League and now lives with Niklas Hemlin in Arizona. She and Eliana Rodriguez are running the league meets and are present for that reason alone. It was a little bit different this time though, as Niklas Hemlin and Mikhail Markine are taking a closer look at all potential candidates for the open Airspeed slot.

Joey Marshall made the trip to Eloy for more than only the eight meet rounds. He and Michelle Karamon and all R2G members are on the list of candidates.

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USPA Nationals 2019			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		11		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open		7,C,H,P		J,21,20		O,3,11		B,2,K,E		8,Q,10		15,D,F,12		N,L,M,14		6,1,9		A,18,13		G,4,5		17,16,22		Total	Avg
1	NMP-PCH Hayabusa	BE	45	-1	24		27		37		21		25		34		25	-1	26	-1	25	-4	-		289	28.9
2	SDC Rhythm XP	US	41		22		21	-1	33		21		23		27		25		24		25		21	-1	262	26.2
3	Arizona Airspeed	US	40	-1	24		22	-2	32		19	-2	24		29		25		21	-2	26	-1	20	-2	262	26.2
4	Defiance	US	30	-1	21		15	-4	28		16		19		22	-3	21		18	-1	18	-1	-		208	20.8
5	Ranch 2nd Generation	US	26		19		19		24	-2	16	-1	17	-1	24		18	-1	19		19		-		201	20.1
6	Kinetix	AU	26		18		17		22		13	-1	17		18	-1	17		17		17		-		182	18.2
7	Lite XP	US	24	-1	17		17		22		15		17		20	-2	16	-1	14		17		-		179	17.9
8	No Name	US	22	-4	17		14		19	-2	12	-2	13		14	-3	15		14		16		-		156	15.6
9	Aviatrixx	US	21		14		13	-1	18	-1	12	-2	15		17	-1	14	-1	12		14		-		150	15.0
10	Perris Force	US	20		13	-1	14		18		11	-1	11		18	-1	13	-1	12		12	-1	-		142	14.2

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Niklas Hemlin said that the search for the new team member began right after the USPA Nationals when he, Mikhail Markine and Matt Davidson made a few jumps with R2G's outside center Christopher Kuhlmann.

It is no big surprise that R2G members are on the top of the Airspeed list. Airspeed could not recruit any Rhythm members any longer in the past four years, and R2G are looking back at the most progressive team career in the recent U.S. 4-way history. Christopher Kuhlmann and Joey Marshall are original team members of 2015, together with videographer Kamuran "Sonic" Bayrasli, of course. Michelle Karamon joined the team in 2016, Jeana Billings this year.

They are still the 4-way shooting star in the United States and have once again lifted their performance level this year, this time to the 20+ level. Michelle Karamon, Jena Billings and Chris Kuhlmann are also training and competing with the U.S. national 8-way team, Paraclete XP8.

The members of the other U.S. top teams who placed ahead of Ranch 2nd Generation or scored higher at the last two USPA Nationals (Defiance, Airspeed Odyssey) are unlikely to pursue a full-time career as 4-way competitors. Ranch 2nd Generation could be the new "farm team" for Arizona Airspeed. Joey Who??? and the eight rounds at the ASL October meet were a part of the recruiting campaign, which is not over yet...