posted Jan 9th, 2014 - The Sun Path Products NSL News has covered the annual World Challenge indoor competition live from Bodyflight Bedford year by year since 2007. The event was launched by owner and passionate indoor flyer Paul Mayer in 2006 when 12 teams attended the inaugural event.

Arizona Airspeed's Odyssey lineup of 2006 (Eliana Rodriguez, Craig Girard, Andy Delk, Brian Johnson) won easily by 27 points at the first event in Bedford and came back with Mark Kirkby in the Tail slot a year later. This time, it would be a nail-biter with a 1-point finish over Team Fastrax (280 - 279).

The new NSL-TV video clip features the 2007 competition for a good reason. The World Challenge 2014 is once again on the schedule of Sun Path Products NSL News live coverage, and the registration for the event is in full swing.

World Challenge 2007		Rd. 1	Rd. 2	Rd. 3	Rd. 4	Rd. 5	Rd. 6	Rd. 7	Rd. 8	Rd. 9	Rd. 10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class	19-O-5	A-G-K-P-M	13-9-N	Q-10-F-B	1-J-20	8-16-D	11-14-7	L-2-21	4-C-12	H-15-3	Total	Avg
1	Airspeed Odyssey (US)	26	42	31	31	24	26	24	24	24	28	280	28.0
2	Fastrax (US)	26	43	32	30	24	26	23	24	25	26	279	27.9
3	XL	27	44	30	32	24	21	17	21	21	24	261	26.1
4	HayaBusa Defence (BE)	23	41	29	27	21	20	21	20	21	24	247	24.7
5	Sky Panthers (RU)	24	43	30	28	8	23	20	21	21	25	243	24.3

The leaderboard of 2007 had only one category, the AAA Class competition. All other categories were added year by year until all four NSL competition classes and the female 4way category reached the current record number of 78 teams last year.

The 2007 lineups had several interesting combinations that are reaching into the present situation of the 4way world. Mark Kirkby was back with Arizona Airspeed after his visit with Team Fastrax throughout the 2006 season, while Thomas Hughes and Niklas Hemlin made Airspeed Odyssey's life very difficult in 2007 with Team Fastrax.

Mark Kirkby, Thomas Hughes and Niklas Hemlin eventually all joined forces in Airspeed's 2011 - 2012 lineup and won the gold medals at the Mondial Dubai 2012 with Josh Hall in the Point slot.

NMP-PCH Hayabusa members Roy Janssen, Andy and David Grauwels were following the whole Airspeed business since the first World Challenge in 2006 where they placed 2nd with Sven Ibens. The same 3way then challenged Arizona Airspeed's 2012 lineup to the last second of working time in Dubai, this time with Point Dennis Praet.

Hayabusa defeated Airspeed two consecutive times at the World Challenge 2011 and 2012 and is the only team in 4way history scoring above the 30-average benchmark without the help of a Super Sequence. Hayabusa set a new record average (30.7) at last year's third consecutive victory.

However, Niklas Hemlin calmly mentioned after losing in Bedford at the beginning of the 2012 season that "you don't win a world meet in the wind tunnel". Hayabusa won £5,000 for the 1st place though, while Niklas Hemlin was proven right when he received his gold medal in Dubai.

World Challenge 2013		Rd. 1	Rd. 2	Rd. 3	Rd. 4	Rd. 5	Rd. 6	Rd. 7	Rd. 8	Rd. 9	Rd. 10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Open Class	O,E,J,K,3	M,Q,A,14	4,6,16	8,18,N	H,19,12	2,7,13	11,C,P,9	15,D,10	L,F,17,G	20,1,22	Total	Avg
1	NMP-PCH Hayabusa (BE)	40(-1)	37	25	28	28	25	37	25(-2)	42(-1)	20(-2)	307(6)	30.7
2	Evolution (CA)	39	36	24(-1)	23	21(-3)	22(-1)	33(-1)	24(-2)	37(-1)	21	280(9)	28.0
3	Gavroches Maubeuge (FR)	34	35	23	22	24	22	33	24	34	19	270(0)	27.0
4	Paraclete XP4 (US)	34(-1)	34	23	22(-1)	22	23	31	22(-2)	38	20	269(4)	26.9
5	XL	30(-5)	35	22	23	23	23	29(-2)	24	37	19(-1)	265(8)	26.5

XL was glad to invite Brian Johnson in 2007, who became available when Airspeed Odyssey welcomed Mark Kirkby back into the Tail slot. XL needed a new member since Thomas Hughes was competing with Team Fastrax in 2007.

XL was now an international team and had different members year by year. The 2007 lineup (Pete Allum, Steve Hamilton, John McIver, Brian Johnson) came back last year and placed 5th with a 26.5 average. The standards are very high in Bedford...

Hayabusa had a new member in 2007, as well. The Belgian team had just decided to go full time and joined the armed forces. Luc Verstrepen was the new Center Inside. Hayabusa needed three more years before winning the first World Challenge in 2011. The 2014 season is the 4th year with the same lineup, and NMP-PCH Hayabusa is the top contender at each 4way competition this year, indoor or outdoor...