posted Apr 18th, 2026 - Seven rounds were completed on Friday at the Shamrock Showdown 2026 - 1st Bob Hallett Memorial. The Aethers and Golden Knights spent the entire day together in the Cessna Caravan, a choice both teams agreed upon, even though the FAI Outdoor World Championship 2026 in October will offer Twin Otter exits at Skydive Arizona.

Jim Rees, FAI Judge and ISC’s 1st Vice President, as well as a former Mass Defiance competitor, provided an evaluation of the first day of competition after Round 7. He manages the judging procedures at Skydive DeLand and collaborates remotely with InTime owners Claire King and Dirk Venter, who participate from their home in South Africa.

Once again, the highly experienced judges had little to critique regarding the French indoor world champions, who have successfully carried their clean approach into both freefall and outdoor competition. Rees and his co-judges identified only three infringements in the first seven rounds, while the Golden Knights lost a total of nine points due to penalties. Despite these penalties, both teams finished the first day at their team record average level. Round 8, scheduled for Saturday morning, promises to be a faster sequence, while Round 9 is expected to slow the scoring pace. It remains uncertain whether Round 11 will be part of the competition. Regardless of whether Round 11 is included, both the Aethers and Golden Knights appear to be on track to post their best outdoor averages by the end of Saturday.

1st Bob Hallett Memorial 2016			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		11		Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class		P,12,7		N,L,2,H		13,4,3		E,J,6,Q		K,O,B,8		D,5,21		19,22,A		F,9,14		15,18,1		16,G,17		M,C,10,11		Total	Avg
1	Aethers	FR	26		33		23		37		28	-1	27	-1	25	-1	-		-		-		-		199	28.4
2	Golden Knights	US	26	-1	29	-2	20	-1	31	-3	27		25	-1	22	-1	-		-		-		-		180	25.7

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Aethers - Golden Knights in Round 7

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Jim Rees served as Chief Judge in Formation Skydiving at the FAI Indoor World Cup 2026, and his travel schedule mirrored that of the Golden Knights. After spending a few days at home in North Carolina, the team continued south to Florida. Jim Rees likewise spent a short break at home in New Hampshire before heading in the same direction.

The Aethers had an even shorter turnaround after Round 10 at Weembi Lille, resuming outdoor training on Monday at Skydive DeLand. According to Jim Rees, the French team has successfully transferred one of their key indoor advantages to the outdoor environment. They use less space for formations and transitions than most other teams—a distinction that goes beyond differences in body size. Coaches and highly experienced 4-way and 8-way competitors have confirmed this, identifying it as a defining element of the Aethers’ progression.

Applying such spatial efficiency is more challenging in the open sky, where space is effectively unlimited. However, footage from the first outdoor competition rounds appears to confirm that the Aethers have carried this advantage into freefall successfully. On Saturday morning, the jump aircraft will be Skydive DeLand’s Twin Otter, following the first seven rounds flown from the Cessna Caravan.

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NSL Live Talk with Jim Rees at the Shamrock Showdown 2026 - 1st Bob Hallett Memorial

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