posted Apr 16th, 2026 - French national coach Mathieu Bernier has been featured more frequently in NSL News headlines recently, although his name has often appeared in updates involving 4-way and 8-way double duties. He brings a wealth of experience in both events, along with a deep understanding of the challenges that come with competing in both disciplines simultaneously.

Mathieu Bernier is currently in DeLand for an outdoor training camp with the Aethers, who will compete alongside—and against—the Golden Knights at the Shamrock Showdown 2026 - 1st Bob Hallett Memorial, beginning tomorrow, Friday, April 16. The success of his national team in 4-way Open at the FAI Indoor World Cup 2026—where they won both the 4-way Open and the 8-way competition together with Nephtys—provided more than enough reason for a new NSL Live Talk with Mathieu Bernier. He took the time to speak while the Aethers were in the middle of back-to-back training jumps.

His experience with double duties and FAI gold medals in both 4-way Open and 8-way Open at the same outdoor World Championships goes well beyond his successful—and still unprecedented—achievement at Menzelinsk 2010. There have been several other attempts over the years, which Mathieu Bernier has studied closely. He later made another attempt as national coach at the FAI Tanay Mondial 2021, though this time without success.

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NSL Live Talk with Mathieu Bernier

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FAI World Championship 2010			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open		10,7,12	3,11,5	J,M,Q,P,L	19,1,13	N,18,20	K,17,8	2,15,H	4,D,6	O,E,9,G	22,B,16	Total	Avg
1	Aerodyne Aerokart	FR	21	22	56	20	22	24	22	24	40	26	277	27.7
2	Arizona Airspeed	US	22	21	53	23	20	24	23	25	40	23	274	27.4
3	Sky Panthers Barkli	RU	19	21	56	21	19	21	23	22	41	21	264	26.4
Rank	8-way Open		3,21,N	6,20,9	E,G,17,5	K,16,2	12,C,22	B,D,M,1	7,15,J	13,L,P,11	4,18,O	10,14,19	Total	Avg
1	France	FR	25	19	16	21	22	25	18	19	23	15	203	20.3
2	Golden Knights	US	23	17	18	20	22	27	20	17	21	11	196	19.6
3	Barkli	RU	20	19	16	17	22	20	18	19	20	14	185	18.5

Kirk Verner was part of another successful double-duty effort with a complete 4-way lineup at an outdoor World Cup. This took place at the FAI World Cup 1996 in Leopoldsburg, Belgium, where Arizona Airspeed’s original lineup won the 4-way competition and also claimed first place in 8-way. The 4-way team (Dan BC, Jack Jeffries, Mark Kirkby, Kirk Verner, with John Lemming on camera) successfully defended their first world championship 4-way title from 1995 at the World Cup a year later, and then again at the next World Championship in Turkey in 1997. The Airspeed 8-way team, featuring the same 4-way members, won in Belgium in 1996, while the Golden Knights took the FAI gold medals in 1997.

Mathieu Bernier’s French double gold in 4-way and 8-way at Weembi Lille last week marked the first successful indoor double-duty achievement at a World Cup. However, the national coach has no plans to apply the same approach at the outdoor World Championship in October this year. He explained that managing the logistics of such a strategy is significantly easier indoors than in outdoor training and competition. He noted that he invested only eight hours of 8-way training across four weekends with Aethers and Nephtys to secure the double gold for the French delegation.

He also refers to his own experience training and competing in both events, which extends beyond the 2009–2010 period. French national coach Jerome David attempted a similar double-duty approach with his 4-way team in 2002/2003 (David Moy, Erwan Pouliquen, Julian Losantos, Marin Ferre). He won the 4-way gold medals on home turf at Gap 2003, while his 8-way lineup—built around the same 4-way team—finished in third place.

FAI World Championship 1999			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open		9,24,A		O,M,2,Q		14,P,11		19,3,15		N,8,12		C,1,E,20		K,23,17		B,16,21		L,22,J,7		G,5,6		Total	Avg
1	Maubeuge	FR	23		23		18		19		18		24		21		21		21		20		208	20.8
2	Arizona Airspeed	US	23		24		19		16	-2	17		26		19		19		20		19		202	20.2
3	DeLand Norgies	NO	21		23		16		17		16		23		20		19		20		16		191	19.1
Rank	8-way Open		15,7,13		B,12,E,3		20,K,11		23,H,J		F,2,8		D,6,P,22		N,A,M,G,16		21,L,14		10,C,4		1,9,O		Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	US	22		25		20		20	-2	16		22		25		19		21		21		211	21.1
2	Russia	RU	20	-2	23	-2	20	-2	23		14	-2	19	-2	26		19		22		23		209	20.9
3	Maubeuge	FR	15	-6	21	-2	22		23		13		21		26		19		20		20		200	20.0

Jerome David made another attempt at combining 4-way and 8-way double duties with a new lineup in 2007/2008. This was also when Mathieu Bernier himself was selected for the national teams: “Jerome David selected Mathieu Bernier, Guillaume Bernier, Julien Degen, and Jeremie Rollett for the new French 4-way Open Class lineup, with one condition. The new team would first have to focus on the 8-way event for two years to secure the one gold medal France needed in Maubeuge 2008. This approach would also give Jerome David enough time to prepare a new generation of 8-way competitors for the World Meet 2010. After 2008, the new 4-way team would then be able to focus exclusively on 4-way, giving France the best possible chance of achieving Jerome David’s ultimate goal in 2010.”

The new 8-way team delivered the gold, while the 4-way team finished just one point behind Airspeed Odyssey in 2008. The same 4-way lineup then went on to win in Menzelinsk 2010, and a new 8-way team—now featuring only Mathieu Bernier from the original 4-way lineup—helped him secure the double gold.

Arizona Airspeed had their own attempt at 4-way/8-way double gold in 1999. The 4-way world champions of 1995 and 1997 were aiming for a third consecutive title and added 8-way to their agenda after Craig Girard moved to Eloy. They won their first 8-way gold medal, while a new French 4-way team (Thierry Boitieux, Marin Ferre, Martial Ferre, Davide Moy, with Laurent Pechberty on camera) claimed the 4-way world title and earned their place on the William H. Ottley Sword—also known as Excalibur.

Airspeed, now including Craig Girard and the Vertical lineup (Neal Houston, Mark Kirkby, John Eagle, with Mark Steinbaugh on camera), tried again at Spain 2001. They won the 4-way competition but lost the 8-way title by a single point. France made another attempt with a complete 4-way lineup at Dubai 2012, finishing third in 4-way and placing four points behind the Golden Knights in the 8-way competition.

FAI World Championship 2012			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open		5,12,E		6,D,B,K		O,8,7		N,13,18		10,21,M		19,H,11		C,G,1,A		20,9,15		16,F,P,Q		2,J,4		Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	US	27		34		27	-1	22		23		23	-2	32		25		40		26		270	27.9
2	NMP-PCH Hayabusa	BE	25	-1	34	-2	27	-1	21	-1	23		24	-1	32	-1	27		40		25	-1	278	27.8
3	Aerodyne Aerokart	FR	26		30	-2	27		21		23		25		29	-1	23	-2	37		24		265	26.5
Rank	8-way Open		N,21,B,5		14,C,13		22,M,20		17,H,16		J,E,12,4		7,19,15		G,K,8,2		O,L,F,P,A		10,11,18		9,Q,D,1		Total	Avg
1	Golden Knights	US	21		19		27		26		26		18		20		28		19		25		229	22.9
2	Aerodyne Maubeuge	FR	22		19		22		23		27		20		20		28		19		25		225	22.5
3	Barkli 8	RU	19		18		22		22		21		15		15		24		16		20		192	19.2