posted Sep 29th, 2006 - The 4-way Grand Prix series in Great Britain came to the end of the 2006 season on the same weekend when the NSL Playoffs 2006 took place. The 5th Grand Prix competition completed a very successful year with many new teams, great competition and competitive scores.

The British Grand Prix joined the European Skydiving League on a full scale this year and included all four competition classes throughout the five meets of the 2006 season. Eight British teams also competed at the ESL Championship 2006 in Belgium and together collected points for the cumulative Spirit scoring. Great Britain as a nation finished in 3rd place (766), shortly behind the Netherlands (788). Belgium won the ESL Spirit 2006 with a total of 909 points.

The new British national 4-way team, Airkix, which represented Great Britain at the World Meet 2006 in the female 4-way category, attended two of the Grand Prix competitions before the team won the gold medals in Germany. It was a very successful year for the British 4-way community.

Four of the British teams that competed at the ESL Championship 2006 on the September 8 weekend used the last opportunity of the 2006 season one week later to add more scores to the team records.

Two of these four teams are also two of the best British Rookie Class teams this year and were not done with their internal competition. Phobia attended all five Grand Prix events and competed in Belgium. Murphy's Law had missed only the first competition of the 2006 season in June. Both teams had become used to challenge each other meet by meet.

Phobia was far ahead of Murphy's Law when both teams met each other for the first time on July 1 (10.2 - 6.3), and the distance was even longer (13.3 - 7.5) three weeks later. Murphy's Law moved much closer at the August meet (13.8 - 11.6) and maintained this position (11.7 - 10.0) at the ESL Championship in Belgium.

Both British teams worked together very well at the international competition and collected a great number of points for the British delegation with the first and second place in the Rookie Class. However, the cooperation of the meet in Belgium was history when Phobia and Murphy's Law met again on September 16 - 17 for the conclusion of the 2006 season.

This time, both teams scored lower compared to the previous events. However, the competition was closer than ever. Murphy's Law had caught up and even challenged the 2006 rival for the first place. Phobia barely managed to carry a 1-point victory over the finishing line after six rounds (60 - 59), and the 2006 season was over.

Vertically Challenged and Escondido, the two other teams that had competed at the ESL Championship 2006 a week earlier, won the AA Class and the A Class competition at the last meet of the Grand Prix 2006. The preparations for the 2007 season in Great Britain and the ESL 2007 events are already in full swing.