posted Oct 26th, 2016 - The Sun Path Products NSL News has been following the competition between the two major U.S. team franchises or powerhouses in 4-way Formation Skydiving competition ever since the SDC Rhythm XP team project was launched by JaNette and Steve Lefkowitz in 2007.

The Lefkowitz couple have reduced the difference between their different lineups and Airspeed from 10.9 in 2007 (23.0 - 10.9) to 2.7 (26.5 - 23.8) this week in Eloy. This distance is identical with the one at the USPA Nationals 2012, which was for Airspeed the run-up to the gold medals at the Mondial Dubai 2012.

Thomas Hughes, Josh Hall, Niklas Hemlin, Mark Kirkby and Bill Schmitz (video) competed for Arizona Airspeed in 2012 - Thiago Gomes, Chris Farina, JaNette and Steve Lefkowitz for SDC Rhythm XP, with Alex Bittner on camera. It was not only the difference that was identical in 2012. Both teams also finished with exactly the same meet averages at both national championships.

USPA Nationals 2016		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open	20,D,E,22	M,9,5	12,8,7	H,L,16,15	F,A,N,J,17	G,6,3	K,B,Q,P,C	18,10,11	13,21,4	14,1,19	Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	22	37	21	24	39	21	47	16	18	20	265	26.5
2	SDC Rhythm XP	23	35	19	19	28	19	45	14	17	19	238	23.8

There was only one event where SDC Rhythm XP finished closer to Arizona Airspeed, which was last year's USPA Nationals (25.6 - 23.6) with a 2.0 difference. Airspeed (Thomas Hughes, Niklas Hemlin, Thiago Gomes, Chris Farina, Justin Price on camera) and Rhythm (Christy Frikken, Mikhail Markine, JaNette and Steve Lefkowitz, Shannon Pilcher on camera) both had different lineups compared to 2012 and this week.

It doesn't sound and look like SDC Rhythm XP has been making great progress in reducing the distance since 2012. However, the challenger was always handicapped as Airspeed recruited mercilessly and successfully from the second best 4-way team in the country.

This tradition is changing now, as Airspeed is replacing Thomas Hughes with Ari Perelman, while Rhythm continues with the same lineup that placed 2nd this week. It will be a different start into the new competition season and team cycle, and the Shamrock Showdown 2017 in March at Skydive DeLand will also be the first showdown between the two teams.

USPA Nationals 2012		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open	3,B,K,H	F,7,22	O,4,D,13	A,M,11,8	N,P,G,19	L,20,1	5,16,J	6,21,12	18,17,10	E,C,Q,15	Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	30	28	24	23	34	22	28	19	20	37	265	26.5
2	SDC Rhythm XP	30	24	23	24	25	21	25	17	19	30	238	23.8

Thomas Hughes will join the retired Airspeed world champions who are coming back regularly to fill the 8-way slots at the USPA Nationals.

This week, the newly crowned USPA 4-way champions have once again joined forces with world champions of earlier Airspeed generations.

Jack Jefferies and Dan BC still represent actively the very first generation of Airspeed, who won two consecutive 4-way gold medals (1995, 1997) and added 8-way gold in 1999.

Andy Delk won 4-way gold in 2008 and silver in 2010 before Josh Hall added his 4-way gold in 2012.

There is only one Airspeed member without a gold medal in this week's 8-way lineup. Videographer Justin Price will try to change this once again with the new lineup for the next two years...