posted Jun 8th, 2021 - The recent introduction of the 4-way Beginner category (A Class) by the U.S. Parachute Association (USPA) has been the topic for the NSL News since it was announced as a test event for this year's national championships at Skydive Arizona in October.

A total of 26 teams have posted scores in the A Class this year, 11 of them at meets in the NSL Network, 15 more at events in the United Kingdom and Australia. That's a lot in a time when the Formation Skydiving competition world seems to slowly begin with recovery from the corona virus crisis.

The last complete competition year before the pandemic was the 2019 season. A total of 91 teams had posted A Class scores by December that year, 33 of them at events of the National Skydiving League in the United States. The A Class participation in 2019 was almost equal to AA Class competition (USPA Intermediate) where a total of 96 teams posted scoring numbers, 55 in the United States, including the 31 teams at the USPA Nationals.

The same event did not have the new 4-way Beginner category (A Class) in 2019. This means that the A Class was already the more popular category by then (33 - 24) outside of the national championships. In addition, the NSL News also knows about teams who have begun with preparations for the national championships after the USPA announcement of the new category.

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USPA Nationals 2000		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Intermediate	9,7	6,F	Q,A,K	21,O	J,2	D,P,20	TBD	Total	Avg
1	DeLand Tunnel Rage	15	15	22	12	13	15	-	92	15.3
2	Blaze	15	15	15	13	10	13	-	81	13.5
3	Focus 4	13	13	16	11	11	11	27	75	12.5
4	Dallas 4-Quest	15	14	20	4	10	12	26	75	12.5
5	Vertex	11	9	18	7	10	10	-	65	10.8
6	Loki	11	7	14	11	11	10	-	64	10.7
6	Float'n Otis	10	12	13	11	8	10	-	64	10.7
8	Sirens	12	10	10	8	11	11	-	62	10.3
8	Crosskeys 4	11	10	14	8	8	11	-	62	10.3
10	Pepperell Event Horizon	11	10	10	9	11	10	-	61	10.2
10	Hinckley Defcon 4	10	10	11	9	11	10	-	61	10.2
12	Sintrifugal Force	11	11	10	10	9	7	-	58	9.7
13	Boondock Saints	11	11	9	8	10	8	-	57	9.5
13	Air Buddha	11	8	11	9	7	11	-	57	9.5
15	Checkpoint	6	10	13	9	9	8	-	55	9.2
15	Wings Of Blue	11	13	8	10	7	6	-	55	9.2
17	Minimum 60	6	8	12	10	9	9	-	54	9.0
17	Formula 4	6	8	12	7	10	11	-	54	9.0
17	Flashpoint	10	11	6	9	8	10	-	54	9.0
20	Da Vinci's Dream	9	10	11	6	9	8	-	53	8.8
21	Foreigners	11	0	13	9	8	11	-	52	8.7
22	Kokomo	10	10	8	7	7	9	-	51	8.5
22	Ground Zero	10	9	9	6	8	9	-	51	8.5
24	Arizona Fusion	9	10	9	7	6	8	-	49	8.2
25	Pepperell Expedition	6	11	8	7	8	7	-	47	7.8
25	B & B 2000	6	11	8	7	8	7	-	47	7.8
27	Perris 2000	6	10	7	6	9	7	-	45	7.5
27	Burning Daylight	10	10	7	9	8	1	-	45	7.5
29	Elsinore 4 Quest	9	6	10	5	7	7	-	44	7.3
30	Mark-4	5	8	8	7	6	5	-	39	6.5
31	Un4given	3	9	8	7	6	4	-	37	6.2
32	Hot & Nasty	3	6	7	4	6	5	-	31	5.2

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However, the 4-way Beginner/A Class is not totally new to teams in the United States at national championships. USPA experimented with new categories, as well, when the 4-way Open Class with the complete FAI/ISC dive pool seemed to be too difficult for new teams on lower experience and training levels.

The recent NSL News series of stories from the archives has taken a closer look at former USPA champions and their team careers, first in the AA/Intermediate Class, followed recently by AAA/Advanced Class teams. The USPA Nationals 2002 became eventually the first event with the current three categories, and with the synchronization of NSL AA and USPA Intermediate Class rules and dive pool.

The USPA Nationals 1997 had an Intermediate Class competition as a second category behind the Open Class. However, the teams still had to be familiar with the complete dive pool, including slot-switchers. The difference between Open and Intermediate was only the length of the sequence, which was identical with the Open Class draw until the 3rd or 4th point determined the end of the Intermediate sequence.

The same rules applied next year, even though the Intermediate Class was renamed to Advanced Class. Z-Spot won the first Advanced Class title after ten rounds with Intermediate Class sequences of 1997. USPA did not only change the name of the Intermediate Class to Advanced in this experimental phase. There was also a new category in 1998, 4-way Recreational, which resembled the Rookie Class of the National Skydiving League with six rounds of only random formations.

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USPA Nationals 2001		1	2	3	4	5	6	Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Intermediate	Q,7	E,21	N,C,2	O,A,6	L,P,J	K,20	Total	Avg
1	Formula 4	14	14	13	13	19	11	84	14.0
2	Shaft	14	15	11	15	16	8	79	13.2
3	Slow Motion	11	14	12	14	14	12	77	12.8
4	Juggernaut	15	8	14	11	17	10	75	12.5
4	Aerohio Vertex	12	12	12	12	16	11	75	12.5
6	Xodos	11	11	11	14	14	11	72	12.0
7	Loki	10	14	12	10	13	11	70	11.7
8	Wind Line Lightning	11	9	11	11	12	10	64	10.7
9	Vertical Junction	10	8	9	11	15	10	63	10.5
9	Out There	9	10	11	10	12	11	63	10.5
11	4in Relation	11	10	10	11	12	8	62	10.3
12	Elsinore Equinox	11	10	9	10	12	8	60	10.0
13	Air Buddha	13	10	8	9	11	8	59	9.8
14	Someday 4Way	10	9	9	8	13	8	57	9.5
15	Otter Limits	10	8	8	11	12	7	56	9.3
15	Arizona Synergy	9	11	11	8	9	8	56	9.3
17	Buzz	10	8	8	10	10	9	55	9.2
18	Harry Carrie's	9	10	8	9	11	7	54	9.0
18	Air Force Falcons	12	9	9	11	6	7	54	9.0
20	CSS4	10	7	8	9	12	7	53	8.8
21	Undecided	10	9	6	10	9	8	52	8.7
21	Perris Fall Guys	9	8	8	9	12	6	52	8.7
21	Burning Daylight	8	9	8	9	11	7	52	8.7
24	Skydive Illinois Dreddogs	8	9	8	10	7	8	50	8.3
25	Air Force Wings of Blue	9	7	7	9	8	8	48	8.0
26	Risky Business	8	8	7	8	8	8	47	7.8
27	Opening Shock	8	9	4	10	9	6	46	7.7
28	Sudden Impact	7	11	4	9	6	7	44	7.3
28	Can Fource	7	10	7	8	5	7	44	7.3
30	Elsinore Un "4" Given	8	7	7	9	5	7	43	7.2
31	Gonnabes	4	7	7	8	8	6	40	6.7
31	Arizona Fast Track	7	7	5	8	10	3	40	6.7
33	Air Force Silver	5	8	6	5	9	6	39	6.5
34	Mad Hatter	6	5	6	7	7	6	37	6.2
34	Arizona Weather Hold	6	4	7	6	9	5	37	6.2
36	Ty Breakers	9	7	5	6	6	3	36	6.0
36	Aerohio Revillusion	6	8	5	7	6	4	36	6.0
38	Pepperell Surprise	4	4	6	4	6	5	29	4.8
39	Ranch Keys	3	7	7	5	4	2	28	4.7
40	Perris Final 4	4	3	7	5	3	4	26	4.3

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USPA did not continue with 4-way Recreational in 1999 and continued to work on the Intermediate and Advanced Class formats instead. The new Advanced Class of 1998, with the Intermediate Class rules of 1997, became the final version of the current Advanced Class in 1999. It has been a copy of the Open Class ever since, with a separate set of medals and some special qualification requirements.

The Intermediate Class came back in 1999, with the same rules as in 1997, and as in the Advanced Class of 1998: whole dive pool with six 3- or 4-point sequences. All teams in all three categories at USPA Nationals still had to train the complete FAI/ISC dive pool.

The next change of the Intermediate Class came in 2000. USPA now introduced a format that offered 4-way teams an easier entry into the competition world. In fact, the Intermediate Class of 2000 resembled the A Class of the National Skydiving League and the new Beginner category at the USPA Nationals this year: Six rounds with a limited dive pool and 3- or 4-point sequences. Nothing changed in 2001, and Formula 4 won USPA's Intermediate Class medals with A Class rules and 14.0 after six rounds.

It was in 2002 when the final change turned USPA's Intermediate Class competition into what it is today, ten rounds with 16 blocks and 4- or 5-point sequences, while the A Class format of 2000 and 2001 went into USPA hibernation until this year's national championships.