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Did You Know...

... that NMP-PCH Hayabusa has a new young Point for the next two years?

2nd place in Taiwan 2009 and 3rd place in Menzelinsk 2010: Sky Panthers
posted Sep 17th, 2010 - The combination of an update from Belgium and yesterday's headline caused the NSL News to research once again the time period of Arizona Airspeed's 4-year team history with the lineup at the World Championship of Formation Skydiving 2010 and at the USPA Nationals 2010. By the way: Airspeed has added the 10-way gold medals to this year's collection, as well.

Yesterday's story pointed out that only one team, Aerodyne Cypres Maubeuge, ever defeated this Airspeed lineup at an outdoor competition, and it happened only once at the World Meet 2010 in Menzelinsk. The new 4-way world champions from France were also defeated by only three teams in the whole 4-year period, and one of them was Airspeed, of course.

Russia's Sky Panthers surprised the 4-way world with a 2nd place after the five rounds of the World Games 2009 in Taiwan. Airspeed won in an unusual meet environment, and the Sky Panthers defeated the Aerodyne Cypres Maubeuge lineup.

World Games 2009Round1Round2Round3Round4Round5TotalAvg
RankAAA Class19,7,14G,9,34,O,28,C,P,10M,K,D,H,BTotalAvg
1USA Arizona Airspeed22 29 23 23 44 14128.2
2Russia Sky Panthers20 27 20 19 39 12525.0
3France Aerodyne Cypres Maubeuge18 24 20 22 37 12124.2
4Belgium HayaBusa Defence22 21 16 19 41 11923.8
5Canada Evolution19 21 18 19 38 11523.0
6Norway Arcteryx14 24 19 17 35 10921.8
Other than Airspeed and the Sky Panthers there was only one team that ever defeated the new 4-way world champions from France. NMP-PCH Hayabusa did it two times, once at the World Cup 2007 after a dramatic jump-off showdown and then again at the World Challenge 2009. It actually happened a 3rd time at the Dubai Championship 2010, but France competed with alternate Marin Ferre and had no chance to keep up with Hayabusa's trained lineup.

World Cup 2007Round1Round2Round3Round4Round5Round6Round7Round8Round9Round10Round11TotalAvg
RankOpen Class84 9P7 1314F 1213 6KN 2 5LG 20 22E19 1711B J 15M16 O D12C Q 10HA 18 5TotalAvg
1Belgium19 27 21 20 24 21 24 25 30 19 22 25222.9
2France21 26 21 19 23 21 24 25 30 20 21 25122.8
3Russia23 23 22 19 25 18 21 24 32 22 -22922.9
Hayabusa with the NSL News at the World Meet 2008
The Hayabusa lineup was the same for the 2-year period between 2007 and 2008. Luc Verstrepen was the Center Inside, David Grauwels (Center Outside), Andy Grauwels (Point), and Roy Janssen (Tail) were still the original Hayabusa members.

Luc Verstrepen had taken the Center Inside slot from original member Sven Ibens who had left the team after the World Meet 2006. Hayabusa had broken the 20-point average and placed 6th in Germany.

Hayabusa could not repeat the World Cup success of 2007 and finished in bronze medal position behind France at the World Meet 2008.

World Meet 2008Round1Round2Round3Round4Round5Round6Round7Round8TotalAvg
RankOpen ClassB,17,7H,N,13,A10,J,C,618,12,2E,3,919,O,4D,M,5,1614,20,21TotalAvg
1USA30 32 24 16 29 21 28 15 19524.4
2France28 30 23 17 27 23 28 18 19424.3
3Belgium27 33 23 17 27 22 25 17 19123.9
4Russia28 30 22 16 28 20 27 17 18823.5
Defeated France again at the World Challenge 2009: Hayabusa at Bodyflight Bedford
Hayabusa then had a personnel change at the end of the 2008 season, which caused a complete makeover.

Luc Verstrepen stepped back, and Waedong So took the Point slot. All three original members had to learn and train new slots (David Grauwels - Center Inside, Andy Grauwels - Center Outside, Roy Janssen - Tail). Only Hayabusa videographer Danny Jacobs continued to film from the same position.

It did not seem to hold back the progression of the Belgian national 4-way team. In fact, the new Hayabusa lineup had one of the best showings ever at the World Challenge 2009 and defeated Aerodyne Cypres Maubeuge for the second time, this time at an indoor competition where France competed with the same lineup of 2007 and 2008.

World Challenge 2009Round1Round2Round3Round4Round5Round6Round7Round8Round9Round10TotalAvg
RankAAA Class17,10,419,Q,8G,7,D,9A,C,E,H,K14,M,J,3N,16,620,F,1215,21,L13,22,1811,2,BTotalAvg
1Arizona Airspeed23 26 36 53 29 27 24 24 21 25 28828.8
2Perris Fury22 20 38 59 22 26 21 24 22 23 27727.7
3HayaBusa Defence22 25 32 56 25 25 21 25 21 23 27527.5
4XL21 24 35 51 25 25 23 25 20 24 27327.3
5Aerodyne Cypres Maubeuge22 26 34 44 26 25 22 24 22 23 26826.8
Last meet for the NMP-PCH Hayabusa lineup of 2009 and 2010 in Menzelinsk
However, the success at Bodyflight Bedford did not hold until the most important outdoor competition of the 2009 season. Aerodyne Cypres Maubeuge was too strong in Prostejov, and Hayabusa had to accept the silver medal position.

The distance between Aerodyne Cypres Maubeuge and NMP-PCH Hayabusa was still the same at the FSL Shamrock Showdown 2010, which was the last test before the World Championship of Formation Skydiving 2010.

Meanwhile, the Belgian team had replaced alternate Luc Verstrepen with young Dennis Praet who traveled with the team to the CISM Championship and then to the World Meet in Menzelinsk, Russia. It was clear by then that Waedong So would leave Hayabusa at the end of the 2010 season and that Dennis Praet would actually become an active member in the Point slot.

NMP-PCH Hayabusa with the Fun Flag for an NSL Talk
The new 2-year plan has now begun for NMP-PCH Hayabusa, and the team becomes even younger. This time, however, the three original members continue in their slots of 2009 and 2010. Dennis "Bambi" Praet is the new Point.

Roy Janssen reported from Belgium that his team had a 3-week vacation after the World Meet in Menzelinsk before the first training camp with the new lineup. Center Inside David Grauwels could still not jump for health reasons, as he needed a rest for his troubled neck and back. This meant that the new alternate, Jeroen "Bob" Nollet would have his oppurtunity to join the Hayabusa lineup, as well.

Roy Janssen said that his team was very pleased with the results of the camp: "He will now get the official slot as the Hayabusa Alternate, as he is also in military service."

Eight years of Hayabusa 4-way progression with the highest meet average at the World Meet 2010
New Hayabusa Point Dennis "Bambi" Praet in action
Hayabusa's team speaker also provided some background information of the two new members. Dennis "Bambi" Praet started skydiving in 2005 and has a total of approx. 1,000 jumps. Jeroen "Bob" Nollet started in 2006 and has approx. 1,400 jumps. Both new members have done many 2-on-2 coaching jumps with the original Hayabusa members, and Roy Janssen explained the situation:

"We already had a good idea what they are capable of. It is always a little bit different with a new member, but we are confident that with time, they will be very good competitors." NMP-PCH Hayabusa has two years to get the new Point and the new Alternate ready for the next pursuit of IPC medals. The USA and France are in the same situation.

Hayabusa has scheduled one 11-day training camp and another 7-day camp this year. David Grauwels will probably be back in business by then. Wind tunnel training will follow by the end of the year. Several competitions are on the Hayabusa agenda for the 2011 season, including the Dubai Championship, Aerokart Challenge, Shamrock Showdown, World Challenge, CISM Championship, World Cup and Belgian Nationals. New young point Dennis "Bambi" Praet will be a seasoned competitor by the end of the 2011 season...

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