posted Oct 31st, 2011 - The games may begin, everything is set for the USPA Nationals 2011, and the number of teams is as impressive as the NSL News expected and hoped for earlier. 65 teams are registered for the three USPA categories and stand for the highest participation since 2005. The 4way event in the USA continues with the upswing of the past years.

Bad news for the 4way teams in the United Kingdom who were confident to beat the US teams in participation at the national championships with their own very impressive record numbers this year. The 55 teams at the UK Nationals 2011 were still not enough, and they have to continue working even harder to beat the US numbers.

It was a large crowd at the team briefing and competition draw where Chief Judge Judy Celaya announced the same judging procedures that she has tested a few times at the Shamrock Showdown in the past years. She said that it is time to move forward into the new age of technology. USPA approved the new procedures this year, as the NSL News reported.

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Larry Hill said that the number of teams will even challenge his fleet of jump planes and the logistics. He calculated 119 loads to complete seven rounds on Monday. Then it was time for the competition draw, and the NSL News was looking specifically at the slow sequences. There are two 3-block sequences in Round 2 (21,14,22) and Round 7 (18,6,2) which is more than Arizona Airspeed had in one competition so far.

The "Mother of the Slow Sequences" has still not been drawn yet. Both sequences for the USPA Nationals 2011 don't seem to challenge the top teams enough to score below 20 points. That's what some of the 4way experts told the NSL News on the "dirtdive tour" after the competition draw. Round 2 is without doubt the slowest sequence of the competition draw. It still seems as if the only question is which number will follow the 2 at the beginning.