posted Feb 15th, 2026 - It was only two weeks ago that the French Aethers made their indoor statement at the Wind Games 2026. However, the event did not mark the end of their indoor season, as the team is aiming to secure another victory at the Indoor World Cup in April.

Despite their continued indoor ambitions, their main focus remains the Outdoor World Championship in October. The Aethers are determined to maintain their position at the top of the 4-way world rankings throughout the entire year.

With this objective in mind, they scheduled their first outdoor training camp for last week—two months before the indoor season concludes at Weembi Lille. Once again, Skydive DeLand was chosen as the training location, allowing NSL News to meet the team and their coach following the recent field trip to Paraclete XP.

Sunday marked the final training day of a highly successful one-week camp, during which the Aethers completed 70 training jumps from both a Twin Otter and a Cessna Caravan. The Twin Otter will serve as the official aircraft for the Outdoor World Championship in Eloy and will also be used at the Shamrock Showdown 2026 - 1st Bob Hallet Memorial in April.

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NSL Live Talk with Aethers at Skydive DeLand on 14 February 2026 - Alban Rumolo at the Wind Games Award Ceremony

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It has not been an easy journey for the Aethers to reach their current position. The process began with a 20-point deficit to Arizona Airspeed at the Shamrock Showdown 2023, one year after the current lineup had been recruited by national coach Mathieu Bernier.

A major setback followed a year later when the Aethers returned to DeLand for training and the Shamrock Showdown 2024. Outside center Tom Mattoni suffered an injury just days before Round 1 and was forced to step away from competition for several months. Mathieu Bernier stepped in to compete with the team at the 2024 event, where Arizona Airspeed claimed victory with a 43-point margin.

Tom Mattoni and the team recovered from that unfortunate start to the 2024 season, although they finished in second place at the FAI Outdoor World Championship 2024, 21 points behind Airspeed.

Then came the 2025 season, when the Aethers finally claimed the top position in the world, overtaking Arizona Airspeed and all other contenders in 4-way competition. The same lineup competed in eight indoor and outdoor meets and won each of them convincingly, including once again the Shamrock Showdown and the FAI Outdoor World Cup.

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NSL TV Unfiltered: Aethers outdoor training camp at Skydive DeLand on 14 February 2026 - Training jump

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The 2026 season is the year in which the Aethers aim to capture their first Outdoor World Championship gold medals—the ultimate reward for the progress they have made over the past three years. They launched their outdoor training campaign even earlier than usual at Skydive DeLand, following a strong performance at the Wind Games that confirmed their readiness for the Indoor World Cup.

Tom Mattoni faced another challenging moment on the final day of the training camp. His parachute opened with severe line twists, and he reacted immediately by cutting away the malfunctioning main canopy. Despite his relatively young age, he is now a highly experienced 4-way competitor. He handled the situation calmly and professionally, resolved it without difficulty, and continued the back-to-back training jumps without interruption.

The training camp at Skydive DeLand concluded with an NSL Live Talk featuring the full team, including videographer Cameron Malie and coach Mathieu Bernier. NSL News plans to follow up with video footage from the first outdoor training camp of the year.

The Aethers are already preparing for their next transition from indoor to outdoor 4-way—this time on an even tighter schedule. Immediately after the award ceremony at Weembi Lille, they will travel to Florida for a week of training at Skydive DeLand ahead of the Shamrock Showdown 2026 - 1st Bob Hallet Memorial. Historically, the winner of the Shamrock Showdown in a World Championship year has often gone on to win the most prestigious 4-way title of the sport as well.

Shamrock Showdown 2025			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class		17,M,10		20,19,F		18,22,K		N,G,3,16		O,E,P,21		9,L,5		6,13,1		C,J,Q,4		D,8,A,H		12,11,14		Total	Avg
1	Aethers	FR	25		23		21		24		34		32		23		32		29		18		261	26.1
2	Golden Knights	US	19	-2	24		18	-2	24		28	-1	26	-2	20		27	-2	26	-1	15	-2	227	22.7
3	Arizona Airspeed	US	23	-1	21		18		22		27	-2	28	-1	18	-1	24	-4	26		17		224	22.4
4	SDC Rhythm XP	US	20		17	-2	17		16	-2	24	-3	24	-1	19		18	-7	21	-1	15		191	19.1
5	Qatar Cheetahs	QA	17	-2	18		14		18	-2	24		19	-2	15	-1	24		21		12	-1	182	18.2
6	Airbus 4-way Illertissen	DE	15	-4	14	-2	13		16		19	-3	19		15		23		19		12		165	16.5
7	Jen and the Double D's	US	15		13	-1	13		13	-1	18	-1	13		13		18	-2	17		9	-2	142	14.2
8	4Action	US	9	-1	10	-1	8	-1	9		13	-1	10		9		11	-3	12		9		100	10.0

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Aethers - Golden Knights - Arizona Airspeed at the Shamrock Showdown 2025

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