posted May 17th, 2026 - The NSL Power Rankings are part of the preview coverage for the major events of the year, providing "speculative predictions" for positions on the respective leaderboards. These rankings build anticipation for upcoming competitions by offering insights into the participating teams and their preparations. Audiences, experts, and coaches also contribute their perspectives and expectations based on the available information.

However, the foundation of the NSL Power Rankings extends beyond "speculative predictions" that ultimately determine the leaderboard positions. A substantial amount of reliable data is available from the outset of the preview process for major events, including the annual FAI/ISC World Championships, World Cups, and selected national championships. Teams’ scoring histories and lineup changes provide valuable information that can be analyzed and interpreted.

NSL News has been collecting and maintaining this data for many years and introduced the NSL Power Rankings more recently as an additional feature to keep the formation skydiving community informed and engaged at the local, regional, and international levels. FAI/ISC events bring together the top teams from participating countries while also including lesser-known teams at the annual indoor and outdoor World Cups, where qualification requirements allow broader participation than the World Championships.

NSL News has consistently focused its coverage on the world’s top teams, much like other sports that highlight elite athletes as role models for competitors and audiences alike. France (Aethers), the United States (Golden Knights), and Belgium (NMP PCH HayaBusa) are currently the leading nations in 4-way Open Class competition. The buildup to this year’s outdoor World Championship is proving to be nearly as exciting as the ten competition rounds themselves, which will take place this October at Skydive Arizona.

Shamrock Showdown 2024			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class		G,5,19		7,12,15		18,21,Q		17,16,A		E,L,22,11		2,10,M		F,6,N,9		J,13,O,8		C,K,H,P,B		D,20,4		Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	US	27		22		23		27	-2	25		23		34		25		53	-5	23		282	28.2
2	France Aethers	FR	21	-1	18		22		24	-1	21		20	-1	29		22		42	-1	20		239	23.9
3	Golden Knights	US	23	-1	17	-2	18	-3	24	-1	21		21		27	-4	19	-2	40	-2	19		229	22.9
4	SDC Rhythm XP	US	19		16		18		22		19		17	-1	27	-1	22		39	-1	17	-1	216	21.6
5	Nephtys	FR	14		16		17		18		17		17		20	-3	20		31	-2	17		187	18.7
6	Chicken Bolts	US	17		14		12	-2	15	-3	13	-1	16		21	-1	16		29	-4	16		169	16.9
7	Thyra	NO	10	-2	9	-1	10	-1	12	-2	14		15		19	-1	16		23		10		138	13.8
8	Teiwaz	US	8	-1	11		11		13		11		11		15		8		14	-1	10		112	11.2

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Aethers - Golden Knights at the Shamrock Showdown 2024

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The story of these three teams in their current lineups began with a duel between Aethers and Golden Knights at the Shamrock Showdown 2024, where both teams finished well behind Arizona Airspeed, which went on to win the FAI Outdoor World Championship 2024 later that October.

NMP PCH HayaBusa introduced its new lineup featuring Ray Lodens at the outdoor world meet in Crystal Coast, where the Golden Knights watched Arizona Airspeed secure a second consecutive 4-way Open Class gold medal for the U.S. delegation. HayaBusa opened this new chapter with a 4th-place finish at the same event. All three teams then appeared together on the same leaderboard for the first time at the Wind Games 2025.

Aethers then traveled to North Carolina in February 2025 to face the U.S. teams again at the Paraclete XP Indoor Championship 2025, including the Golden Knights. They followed up with their first World Championship title at Paraclete XP 2025. Arizona Airspeed remained the primary U.S. challenger, while NMP PCH HayaBusa earned the first FAI bronze medals for new member Ray Lodens. The next Shamrock Showdown matchup between Aethers and Golden Knights took place in DeLand later that same month, marking the start of the 2025 outdoor season. The gap between the two rivals had widened from 10 points in 2024 to 34 points one year later. However, the U.S. Army team still managed to outscore the new Arizona Airspeed lineup.

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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InTime competition videos of Aethers - Golden Knights at the Shamrock Showdown 2026 - 1st Bob Hallett Memorial

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The next step was the FAI Outdoor World Cup 2025, where the Golden Knights faced both Aethers and NMP PCH HayaBusa. The U.S. Army team still had to secure qualification for the next world meet at the USPA Nationals 2025, where the French national team witnessed a shift in the balance of power in U.S. 4-way competition and the emergence of a strong Golden Knights lineup.

NMP PCH HayaBusa returned for the next two indoor events, the Wind Games 2026 and the FAI Indoor World Cup 2026, while Aethers and the Golden Knights opened the outdoor competition season without the Belgian team at the Shamrock Showdown 2026 - 1st Bob Hallett Memorial.

The Golden Knights had narrowed the gap to Aethers at the USPA Nationals 2025 to just five points (250–245) before the margin widened again to 26 points (336–310) after the two indoor events. The first outdoor competition of the World Championship year, held at Skydive DeLand in April, ended with exactly the same point difference. Aethers and the Golden Knights have now faced each other directly ten times since the Shamrock Showdown 2024 and this year’s event in DeLand. Aethers will not return to the United States before the World Meet in Eloy. Instead, NMP PCH HayaBusa will take on the Golden Knights at the Paraclete XP Summer Classic in June. Meanwhile, Aethers will focus on defending its lead with training on home soil until the trip to Arizona.