posted Mar 9th, 2015 - The week of the Paraclete XP Indoor and Outdoor Championships 2015 is over after a total of 16 rounds in Raeford and DeLand, and Arizona Airspeed will win the USPA Nationals 2015 - if the history of the relationship between the outdoor competition in DeLand and the national championships does not change.

The winner of the Shamrock Showdown/Paraclete XP Outdoor Championship has always won the gold medals at the USPA Nationals since the event was launched in 2002. Arizona Airspeed had a slow start at the indoor competition, which might have been caused by the team's travel adventure from the west coast to the east coast, and was in best shape when the outdoor competition began a week later. The outdoor distance to SDC Rhythm XP has increased from 3.2 (25.2 - 22.0) at the USPA Nationals 2014 to 3.3 (27.8 - 24.5) last weekend, and Rhythm's situation has not become any easier.

Airspeed did not perform on the team's top level in Raeford, as the numbers of both events are showing. Airspeed's 28.7 indoor average is only slightly higher than the 27.8 outdoor average in DeLand. It was an impressive start of the 2015 outdoor season for the reigning US 4-way champion.

Paraclete Outdoor 2015		Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Round 6	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class	N,2,13	16,O,E,10	D,19,11	C,8,M,9	F,20,P,6	A,7,B,G	Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	22	25	23	32	28	37	167	27.8

Videos: Arizona Airspeed at the Paraclete XP Indoor and Outdoor Championships 2015

Paraclete Indoor 2015

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

D,2,8

4,J,B,17

14,19,P

1,L,20

11,21,G

Q,C,H,22

3,12,5

M,E,16,9

N,10,6

K,7,O,15

Total

Avg

1

Arizona Airspeed

25

30

22

26

25

36

25

39

27

32

287

28.7

The 27.8 average in DeLand was in fact the second highest score in the history of 4-way outdoor competition. Only one team has ever scored higher, and two current Airspeed members own this record, Thomas Hughes and Niklas Hemlin.

The Airspeed lineup of 2012 won the 4-way gold medals with a 27.9 average at the Mondial in Dubai. NMP-PCH Hayabusa finished 2nd with the same 27.8 average that Airspeed's new lineup posted last weekend after six rounds. Neither the ten rounds in Dubai nor the six rounds in DeLand included a Super Sequence.

SDC Rhythm XP posted the team's highest indoor average in a 10-round meet with the complete dive pool, and followed up with a new outdoor team record in DeLand. It was still not enough to get anywhere close to Airspeed.

Mondial Dubai 2012		Rd. 1	Rd. 2	Rd. 3	Rd. 4	Rd. 5	Rd. 6	Rd. 7	Rd. 8	Rd. 9	Rd. 10	Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open Class	5,12,E	6,D,B,K	O,8,7	N,13,18	10,21,M	19,H,11	C,G,1,A	20,9,15	16,F,P,Q	2,J,4	Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	27	34	27	22	23	23	32	25	40	26	279	27.9
2	NMP-PCH Hayabusa	25	34	27	21	23	24	32	27	40	25	278	27.8

The situation for SDC Rhythm XP seems to be even more challenging since Airspeed's new lineup is still at the beginning of the new 2-year cycle. Niklas Hemlin replaced Mark Kirkby after the USPA Nationals 2014, while Rhythm has entered the third year with the current lineup.

Chris Farina said that he still sees a lot of room for improvements after the two Paraclete meets. Airspeed will probably become even stronger with more training this year.

Airspeed's new lineup could not outscore NMP-PCH Hayabusa at the Wind Games in January. However, the domestic competition at the national championships is more important this year, and Airspeed has a significant head start, while Rhythm has to find a way how to move closer - quickly...