posted Sep 27th, 2026 - The last 8-way word before Round 1 at the FAI Outdoor World Championship 2026 was spoken by Paraclete XP8 at the USPA Nationals 2026. The U.S. national 8-way team won the USPA gold medals comfortably, finishing 43 points ahead of Arizona Airspeed (182–139). However, the final scores were probably not convincing enough for the team itself to travel to Skydive Arizona next month with complete confidence.

After leaving Skydive Perris and returning to Skydive Paraclete XP8 in North Carolina for more training, XP8's only serious opponent at the upcoming world meet in Eloy, the Qatar Falcons, could take confidence from the result and believe they have a chance to win the first gold medals for their country at a world championship.

In fact, to maintain consistency in the creation and maintenance of the NSL Power Rankings, an adjustment to the current 8-way leaderboard was necessary. The Qatar Falcons' 20.0 average at Germany's national outdoor championship at the end of August is the highest 8-way scoring level of the year, even though it was calculated after only seven completed rounds at the event site in Gera. The sequences and judging were different, as they always are when teams are not competing directly against each other, while the NSL Power Rankings have always been created without taking such details into account.

FAI Outdoor World Championship 2026			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	Total	Avg
Rank	8-way Open Power Ranking		TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	Total	Avg
1	Qatar Falcons	QA	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1	Paraclete XP8	US	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
3	Operation Adler	DE	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
4	Netunos	BR	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
5	Canada8	CA	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Qatar Falcons and Paraclete XP8 appear to be arriving at Skydive Arizona at a very competitive level relative to each other, something that has not happened in a very long time. Only the eight-way competition at Tanay 2021 offered a similarly fierce battle between France and the United States over the past 15 years, and the audience could probably anticipate a similar situation next month, at least according to the current scoring data.

Paraclete XP8's lineups at the 2022 and 2024 outdoor world championships did not allow the Qatar Falcons to get anywhere close to first place, after the Golden Knights 8-way teams had done the same until Australia 2018. It is probably impossible to raise XP8's 18.2 average from Perris to a level that would be out of reach for the Qatar Falcons within the one month remaining before Round 1.

Kirk Verner, XP8 team captain and still the reigning 8-way world champion from 2021, 2022, and 2024, together with Jeana Billings, was well aware of the upcoming challenge and does not expect a runaway victory similar to those in 2022 and 2024. The duel with the Qatar Falcons will probably be more similar to the one-point battle with the French 8-way team in Tanay. He said that his team will use the final month to work hard and get ready for the competition in Eloy.

USPA Nationals 2026		1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	8-way Open	11,6,14		E,8,9		7,N,D,17		J,20,K,G		2,5,Q		L,M,15,F		1,12,P		B,4,A,18		13,O,C,21		19,3,22		Total	Avg
1	Paraclete XP8	17	-1	17		19		17	-1	16	-2	24		15	-6	22		17		18	-1	182	18.2
USPA Nationals 2025		1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	8-way Open	Q,H,9,7		B,20,E,14		C,8,21		17,10,2		18,O,A,19		6,15,K		F,D,22,M		13,4,16		12,L,G,J		P,1,5		Total	Avg
1	Paraclete XP8	17		14	-2	14	-1	15		14	-2	21	-1	20		20		20		18	-2	173	17.3

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Paraclete XP8 at the USPA Nationals 2026 and 2025

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The current lineup, which will try to defend the U.S. 8-way world championship title, increased the 17.3 scoring level of the previous lineup at the USPA Nationals 2025 to 18.2 last week in Perris. The 2025 lineup incurred eight penalty points, while the current lineup received eleven penalties last week. Doug Barron and Matt Davidson replaced Jill Stephenson and Ian Pedowitz after last year's national championships. 8-way world champions Jeana Billings, Jennifer Davidson, and Kirk Verner continued with James Hall, Carl Kallgren IV, and Brandon Kashani, whom they had recruited for a new XP8 lineup after the FAI Outdoor World Championship 2024. Matt Davidson and Doug Barron were then added to complete the current lineup.

The new and current XP8 members outscored several other former and current 4-way and 8-way world champions on their way to this year's USPA gold medals. Arizona Airspeed's alumni pickup team for this year's 8-way competition included 4-way and 8-way world champions Dan BC, Jack Jefferies, Niklas Hemlin, Michelle Karamon, Joey Marshall, and team videographer Alex Swindle. Only Brian Johnson and the two new Airspeed 4-way members, Doug Hendrix and Alisson de Vargas, cannot claim any world championship title yet, even though they won the USPA 4-way gold medals.

Brian Johnson narrowly missed his own FAI 8-way gold medal when he finished second at Gera 2006, while Doug Hendrix and Alisson de Vargas may get their opportunity with Airspeed 4-way in 2028. Gera is also the place where the Qatar Tigers posted their first 20+ average. James Hall, Carl Kallgren IV, Brandon Kashani, and Kevin Penn will get their first opportunity next month, while Doug Barron will try again after finishing second with SDC Rhythm XP at Tanay 2021.

USPA Nationals 2026		1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	8-way Open	11,6,14		E,8,9		7,N,D,17		J,20,K,G		2,5,Q		L,M,15,F		1,12,P		B,4,A,18		13,O,C,21		19,3,22		Total	Avg
1	Paraclete XP8	17	-1	17		19		17	-1	16	-2	24		15	-6	22		17		18	-1	182	18.2
2	Arizona Airspeed	12	-1	12	-1	15		16		11	-2	15	-1	12	-3	18	-1	14	-1	14	-1	139	13.9
3	Elsinore No Guts No Gloryhole	12	-1	11	-1	12	-1	13		11		15		12	-1	15		12		12		125	12.5
4	AZ Mandatory Fun!	10		9		10		12		10		11	-2	12		12		9		10	-1	105	10.5
5	Spaceland 8	9		10		10		9	-1	9	-1	11		13		10		8	-2	9	-1	98	9.8
5	Prison Yard	9	-1	9		9	-1	7	-4	9	-1	11	-1	11		13		9		11		98	9.8
7	SDC Rh8ders	9		8	-1	10		8		8		5	-4	9		9	-1	8		9	-1	83	8.3
8	Perris Byte	9		5	-2	7		5	-2	4	-2	8		8	-1	8	-1	7	-1	5	-2	66	6.6

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Arizona Airspeed at the USPA Nationals 2026

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