posted Jun 12th, 2009 - The NSL News announced the FAI World Cup 2009 and the NSL News/Camscore coverage for the first time on 3 June 2009.

The review of the leaderboard at the last World Cup 2007 in Russia shows that three of the 22 teams in the Open Class competed for the United Kingdom. Fusion, Damn Zebra and Inferno had their own UK race as a part of the international competition and placed right next to each other (17th, 18th, 19th).

None of the three best UK teams of 2007, Bodyflight Storm, Team Elan and Aardvark Zulu, traveled to Russia just two weeks before the UK Nationals 2007. Fusion, the official UK national 4-way team of 2006, Damn Zebra and Inferno attended both events in Russia and then on UK home turf.

The timing and logistics of the World Cup 2009 in Prostejov, Czech Republic, are much easier for the UK teams. The UK Nationals 2009 are scheduled for the August 8 weekend, and the World Cup takes place during the first September week. The ESL Championship 2009 brings the UK teams back to their home turf a week after the World Cup in the Czech Republic.

Five UK teams have been invited by the British Parachute Association (BPA) to represent the United Kingdom this year at the World Cup: Escondido, Fusion, Phobia, SonicNutz and Kaizen. All five teams attended the World Challenge 2009. Phobia already posted new outdoor scores at the first meet of the United Kingdom Skydiving League 2009.

Only Fusion and SonicNutz, a combination of last year's teams Wingnutz and Sonic V, competed already in the AAA Class in 2008. Escondido, Phobia and Kaizen competed in the AA Class last year and have moved up into the AAA Class where they posted their first scores at the World Challenge 2009.

The International Parachuting Commission (IPC) allows only four teams per nation to sign up for the World Cup. The 5th invited UK team, Kaizen, would compete in IPC's female 4-way category. The United Kingdom did not have a team registered in this category at the World Cup 2007. UK team Bodyflight Storm is the reigning world champion after winning the World Meet 2008 in France.

Bodyflight Storm is also the reigning UK 4-way champion of 2008 in the Open Class after beating Satori last year. Storm has a new lineup, as the NSL News reported on 12 April 2009, which neither attended the World Challenge 2009 nor the UKSL season opener.

There was also no word about the other UK top team of 2008, Satori, related to the attendance at the World Cup 2009. Satori raced with Bodyflight Storm for last year's UK gold medals in the AAA/Open Class and had a great season opener at the World Challenge 2009. Satori has a new team member, former XL member John McIver, and did not compete at the first UKSL 2009 competition.

The NSL News will follow up with more information of Bodyflight Storm's and Satori's plans as soon as possible.