posted Apr 19th, 2026 - Everything had been decided after Round 10 of the Shamrock Showdown 2026 - 1st Bob Hallett Memorial at Skydive DeLand. The two teams had agreed in advance to conclude the competition after the traditional ten rounds, making a jump-off unnecessary.

The French national team extended their lead in 4-way Open from 19 points to 26 points, even though the Golden Knights recorded the highest score in Round 9. The 26-point margin exactly matches the gap between the two teams at the conclusion of the FAI Indoor World Cup 2026, where the U.S. Army team had outscored NMP PCH HayaBusa for second place.

Teams, coaches, and experts had anticipated a narrower margin in the outdoor setting, following the Aethers’ 26-point lead at Weembi Lille. The French team benefited from arriving earlier in DeLand and adapting to the outdoor environment, while the Golden Knights had only one day to prepare and transition from indoor to outdoor conditions at the new competition site, where they faced the same opponent. The starting point for the outdoor World Championship season is now established, and the two teams are set to meet again at Skydive Arizona in October.

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NSL TV Unfiltered: Saturday morning at the Shamrock Showdown 2026 - 1st Bob Hallett Memorial

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The Golden Knights and NMP PCH HayaBusa will meet again at the Paraclete XP Summer Classic in June for a mid-season evaluation of their outdoor performance level, following a week of joint training at the U.S. Army team’s headquarters in Laurinburg, North Carolina. Arizona Airspeed are also planning to compete at Skydive Paraclete, while the Aethers will remain in Europe until the outdoor World Championship in Eloy.

The current dynamic between the U.S. national team and the Aethers closely mirrors their situation last year. The Aethers won the Wind Games 2025 convincingly by 36 points over the Golden Knights (341–305) and followed that with a 34-point lead at the Shamrock Showdown (261–227). The gap then narrowed to 17 points at the FAI Outdoor World Cup 2025 in August (263–246), and finally to just five points (250–245) when the French team competed as a guest at the USPA Nationals 2025.

There is little doubt that national coach Mathieu Bernier and his team are fully aware of both this progression and the current situation. They have consistently emphasized their intention to maintain the gap they have established, even though their opponents’ performance remains beyond their control.

1st Bob Hallett Memorial 2026			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		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		Total	Avg
1	Aethers	FR	26		33		23		37		28	-1	27		25	-1	29		18	-1	25	-1	271	27.1
2	Golden Knights	US	26	-1	29	-2	20	-1	31	-3	27		25	-1	22	-1	25	-1	19		21	-1	245	24.5

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Aethers - Golden Knights at the Shamrock Showdown 2026 - 1st Bob Hallett Memorial

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The Aethers have already lived up to their commitment, as their 27.1 average in DeLand marks a new team record for outdoor competition. They have applied immediate pressure on the Golden Knights, who began the 2026 outdoor season at exactly the same level where they finished last year at the USPA Nationals. The five-point gap from October has now widened again to 26 points, driven by the Aethers’ higher performance level.

The team reinforces its commitment in multiple ways. With Mathieu Bernier’s wealth of experience, there is constant internal pressure to maintain their standard. In addition, the names of all former French 4-way and 8-way world champions are displayed on their helmets—including their coach himself, who remains the most recent French world champion after winning both titles 16 years ago at Menzelinsk 2010.

The helmets also feature three guiding words engraved alongside those names: Excellence – Patience – Confidence. Tom Mattoni, the youngest member of the Aethers, explained the significance of these words during the NSL Live Talk following the completion of ten rounds in DeLand. A video of the conversation with the full team and coach Mathieu Bernier will be published soon.

USPA Nationals 2025			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open		O,4,5		21,12,22		6,J,H,G		N,2,20		L,13,A,F		7,19,M		1,14,18		9,10,15		17,E,8		C,3,P,K		Total	Avg
1	Aethers Lille	FR	23	-1	19		33		23		34		26		18		21		23	-1	30	-1	250	25.0
2	Golden Knights	US	21	-3	19		29		22		36		26		19		19	-2	26		28		245	24.5
3	Arizona Airspeed	US	24		17		27		19		29		23		15		17		22		23	-1	216	21.6
4	SDC Rhythm XP	US	19		14	-1	27		19		26	-1	22		15		16		19		19	-5	196	19.6
5	Elsinore Elevate	US	17	-1	14		23		17		26		21		15		16		19		21		189	18.9
6	Inertia AZ	US	16	-1	14	-1	24		16	-1	25		20		14		16		12	-5	20		177	17.7
7	The OGs	US	17		9	-3	21	-1	15	-1	21	-2	18		13		12	-2	16	-1	18	-2	160	16.0
8	Redline XP	US	14	-1	10	-1	18		14		22		13	-3	12		12		17		15	-1	147	14.7
9	Ranch TNT	US	13	-3	11		21		13		18		16	-1	11		12		14		12	-2	141	14.1
9	Double Trouble	US	14		11		18		12	-1	18		15		12		12		13	-1	16		141	14.1
11	Rhetirement Rhedux	US	12	-2	7	-3	16		11	-1	17		14	-1	9	-1	8	-2	10	-1	14		118	11.8
12	XP Angels	US	11	-1	9	-1	15	-2	11	-2	16	-1	13		10		7	-2	13	-1	12		117	11.7

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Aethers - Golden Knights at the USPA Nationals 2026

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