posted Sep 7th, 2003 - The competition draw is out, and it does not seem to be very fast, as some of the experts commented it. Does this mean anything when all the teams are jumping the same sequences anyway? DeLand Majik member Solly Williams, who is coaching several teams in Gap, explained how the draw can make a difference: "The slower the draw is, the more difficult it is for any team to run away from the field. We will probably see a tight competition with possibly more teams in the run than with a fast draw. And we might also not see the top teams scoring higher than 22.0 average." The sequences have now been added to the scoring table at the bottom of this page. This means that we are getting really close to the start of the competition.

While the teams were preparing for the meet at the competition site and many of them went straight to the creepers after the draw, some of the top contenders were working on a different topic at the same time. The Golden Knights encountered a surprising situation when they presented their training jumps to the judges. Two of their block techniques, Stardian - Stardian (Block 6) and Zipper - Star (Block 12), were not accepted by the judges. The score sheets showed penalties in most of the cases, especially for Block 12. The reason for the penalties was a topic that had been discussed already earlier and at several World Meets and World Cups of the past. How much are teams allowed to take "shortcuts" and use advanced vertical techniques to save split seconds here and there?

The earlier discussions and arguments found their way into the IPC rule book. When teams began to use advanced horizontal techniques years ago, the IPC rules received the first adjustment at "Performance Requirements" (Section 3.3.5.): "Where degrees are shown, (180', 270', 360', 540'), this indicates the approximate degrees and direction of turn required to complete the inter as intended". The word "approximate" made the difference and then allowed the teams to cut into the turns of the pieces.

After the vertical techniques were developed, another sentence was added to the same paragraph that explained and defined how far the teams are allowed to go: "The degrees shown are approximately that amount of the circumference of the subgroup's centerpoint to be presented to the centerpoint(s) of the other subgroup(s)." Even the centerpoint of a subgroup was clearly defined by then (Section 2.5.): "A subgroup's centerpoint: is the defined grip, or the geometric centre of the grips within a subgroup." According to these rules, the teams have developed their latest techniques, trained and competed at several meets this year. The surprise was understandable for the U.S. 4-way team when they discovered that their techniques were not accepted.

Team captain John Hoover did what he had to do. He communicated the problem with fellow competitors and the judges, while his team changed the block techniques during the remaining few jumps on Saturday. Of course, the block times were slower when the Knights applied a more conservative technique. It was a difficult situation for Hoover and the Army team. If they volunteered to use a slower technique, it might cost them enough to lose the meet. If they continued with the same and faster technique that they had practiced, they might receive penalties and lose, as well. When Hoover discussed the issue with the French national coach, Jerome David and Dan BC, who is coaching the Swiss national team Endeavour, both shared Hoover's concern and also took action instantly. Fortunately, all the top teams apply similar techniques and are in the same situation.

Hoover, BC and David met with the judges and asked for clarification. Result was the confirmation that the techniques will be accepted if they are according to the explained rules. Competitors and judges watched videos of critical situations together and talked about the block techniques with the coaches BC and David representing the teams. BC had the rule book in his hands and asked for the commitment to use these rules as they are written. David explained later to the NSL News that a judgment call can easily slip into an interpretation of a technique rather than a clear application of the written rule. "The judges should not read anything into what they actually see. The rules define the limits clearly. And the judges have to apply the rules strictly and without interpretation. We are moving on slippery and thin ice if the judges begin to interprete what they see."

However, coaches, competitors and judges left the meeting in agreement. The Golden Knights and all the other top teams will apply the techniques they have trained all year and hopefully not run into the same situation during the meet. Round one with Block 12 as a part of round one's sequence will show what the judges are willing to accept. BC, Hoover and David forwarded the information to the teams who will now have to shake off the worries and focus on the first round. The 4-way teams will get in the air tomorrow afternoon. The Formation Skydiving competition begins with the 8-way event in the morning.

The opening ceremony directed the attention toward a more relaxing end of the day. A large crowd of spectators attended the colorful presentation of the spirited and motivated field of teams and competitors of all events from all over the world. The media with several camera teams and reporters showed great interest in the event. The host's delegation received standing ovations and cheers by the spectators when they walked into the presentation area lastly. The presentation of the athletes was followed by a Pilatus Porter flight show and parachute demo jumps by several French jumpers. It was an exciting opening ceremony. And now we are only one night away from the first scores on the board. By the way: the NSL News tested uploading a video file that shows the event area and the larges screens where the jumps will be shown. It seems to work. Click here to check it out.