posted Feb 24th, 2026 - Arizona Airspeed’s strong performance with their new lineup and revised slot configuration did not receive significant attention in NSL News coverage, as most of the spotlight was on the thrilling rivalry among the three leading medal contenders for this year’s indoor world cup and outdoor world championship. Aethers (France), NMP PCH HayaBusa (Belgium), and the Golden Knights (United States) also serve as their respective national 4-way Open Class teams, making their early positioning in the 2026 season particularly compelling.

However, Michelle Karamon's performance as the newest member of Airspeed did attract special attention in the February 3rd coverage—especially after the NSL News reported that she also stepped into the Tunnel Vision slot when Laura Hampton was unable to continue after Round 1 due to injury.

Arizona Airspeed’s 2025 lineup—Joey Marshall, Chris Kuhlmann, and new additions Doug Hendrix and Alisson de Vargas—finished 13 points behind the Golden Knights when the U.S. Army team claimed the national indoor championship last year at the Paraclete XP Indoor Championship 2025. With updated slot assignments, the current lineup narrowed the gap to six points behind the same Golden Knights team at the Wind Games 2026. That progress was confirmed again last weekend at Paraclete XP, where the difference stood at seven points after Round 10—less than a month later.

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NSL Live Talk with Arizona Airspeed

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The two events were also connected in an intriguing way. The Golden Knights had won the first half of the Wind Games with an eight-point lead over Arizona Airspeed. However, in the second half, the momentum shifted. Over the final five rounds, Airspeed outscored the U.S. Army team by two points. In fact, with their new lineup, revised slot assignments, and Michelle Karamon's double duties in Spain, Airspeed did not concede a single one of the last three rounds to the Golden Knights.

That three-round streak at the end of the Wind Games carried over to the Paraclete XP Indoor Championship, where Arizona Airspeed won the first two rounds and built a four-point lead over their main rival after Round 2. It created an almost surreal situation for both Airspeed and the audience, as the team later explained during the NSL Live Talk conversation between the completion of the ten rounds and the award ceremony at Paraclete XP.

Airspeed’s four-point advantage after Round 2 was not only an extension of their strong finish at the Wind Games. The winner of this year’s national indoor championship would earn the right to represent the United States at next year’s indoor world championship in Munich, Germany. It is unlikely that the new Airspeed lineup seriously considered that possibility before arriving at Paraclete XP. Suddenly, they found themselves four points ahead of the Golden Knights—along with the audience—wondering what exactly was unfolding.

Paraclete XP Indoor Championship 2026			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open		11,16,O		N,17,K,J		19,13,6		3,B,15		2,H,C,12		20,G,A,5		7,L,E,Q		21,14,M		8,18,D		Q,4,9		Total	Avg
1	Golden Knights	US	25	-2	34	-1	27		28	-1	28	-1	31		47	-2	25	-1	24	-1	33		302	30.2
2	Arizona Airspeed	US	26		37	-1	23		26		27		30		46		26		23		31	-1	295	29.5
3	XP4	US	20	-1	30		23		24		25		25		41		22	-1	20		30		260	26.0
4	SDC Rhythm XP	US	22		31	-1	23		23		23	-1	25		41		22		20	-1	26	-1	256	25.6
5	Brazil Vision	BR	24		31	-1	20	-3	21	-4	20		24	-1	42		22		20	-1	29	-2	253	25.3
6	XPG4	US	20		29	-1	20	-1	21		23		22		32	-3	18		18	-1	21	-1	224	22.4
7	XPerimental	US	19		27		19	-1	20		19		19		34		21		17	-1	26		221	22.1
8	Shortleash	US	18		22	-2	19	-1	19		20		19	-1	31		18		18		23	-1	207	20.7
9	Ranch TNT	US	17	-1	22	-3	19		19		18	-1	19		29	-2	17	-1	15	-1	21		196	19.6
10	Synergy X	SG	17		19	-3	17		12	-3	18		19		30	-1	12	-3	16	-1	20		180	18.0
11	Flirting With The Edge of Disaster	US	15	-1	20	-1	13	-2	17		15	-2	18		26	-3	17		15	-1	19		175	17.5
12	Air Force 9 Ball	US	15		17	-1	13	-2	13	-2	14		12		23	-4	16		13	-1	15	-3	151	15.1

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Golden Knights - Arizona Airspeed at the Paraclete XP Indoor Championship 2026

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The Golden Knights responded like the seasoned professionals they are. In Round 3, they erased the entire four-point deficit and then conceded only one round and a single point for the remainder of the competition. It was an impressive and convincing comeback by the Golden Knights, even though Arizona Airspeed still finished just seven points behind—only one point more than the gap at the Wind Games.

The early pressure applied by Arizona Airspeed in the first two rounds may have pushed the reigning and newly crowned U.S. 4-way indoor champions to a 30.2 finishing average, significantly higher than their 28.9 average at the Wind Games. Arizona Airspeed will not travel to Weembi Lille for the indoor world cup. However, the Golden Knights will face more than enough pressure even without their U.S. rivals present.

The French Aethers remain well ahead of the rest of the field and are the primary benchmark. Meanwhile, NMP PCH HayaBusa already posted a 30.4 average at the Wind Games, earning the FAI silver medals ahead of the Golden Knights. The Belgian team represents the first major hurdle for the U.S. Army team in pursuit of a higher podium position. Both U.S. teams will then begin their outdoor competition season at the Shamrock Showdown 2026 - 1st Bob Hallet Memorial one week later, where they will once again face Aethers at Skydive DeLand.

Wind Games 2026			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open Top 10		13,15,M		8,N,G,L		H,6,16		Q,D,J,12		17,P,21		7,3,2		F,19,11		B,20,4		22,E,10		C,9,5		Total	Avg
1	Aethers	FR	31	-2	37	-2	32	-1	39		34		29		32		32		25	-2	41	-3	332	33.2
2	NMP PCH HayaBusa	BE	27	-3	34	-2	32		33	-1	33		26	-1	27	-2	28	-1	25		39	-2	304	30.4
3	Golden Knights	US	30	-1	32	-2	29		31	-3	31	-1	25		29	-1	26	-3	23	-1	33	-1	289	28.9
4	Unruly	INT	28	-3	30	-2	26	-3	32	-1	29		26		27	-2	26	-1	24		39		287	28.7
5	Arizona Airspeed	US	27	-2	31		27	-2	31	-3	29	-1	25		28		26	-1	23		36		283	28.3
6	Tunnel Vision	US	27	-1	32		28		29	-4	30		25		27		26		23		34		281	28.1
7	Dynos	INT	26	-1	30	-1	27	-1	30	-1	29		26		27	-1	27		21		35	-1	278	27.8
8	Amnesya Fly X	IT	23	-3	29		24	-1	25	-4	27		20	-1	24	-1	23	-1	20	-1	29	-3	244	24.4
9	Skynamite	DE	23		24		24		27	-2	20	-1	21		23	-1	21	-1	17	-1	28	-2	228	22.8
10	Monaco F1	FR	21	-2	26		26		21	-5	20	-3	21		22		20	-3	18	-1	30		225	22.5

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Golden Knights - Arizona Airspeed at the Wind Games 2026

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