When a few  of the sixteen slots for NSL teams opened up shortly
before the event, the NSL headquarters accepted three guest
teams to join the competition. Florida Skydiving League
Champion 2001, Optic Nerve, was eager to compete again after
missing the NSL Playoffs. The 15.6 meet average at Fantasy of
Flight was the result that the team had hoped for to finish
the 2001 season. |
The national  4-way
team from Italy, Sinapsi, posted a 16.4 meet average. Sinapsi
was in DeLand for a training camp and used the opportunity to
compete with top teams. Two of the team members had scored a
15.9 average for Italy at this year's world championship
finishing on 6th place. The new Sinapsi team seems to be on
the way up. |
And then there was DeLand Majik with their first
competition. Curious eyes were watching the television
screen  when the
first Majik jumps were shown. The Majik performance and scores
were just as exciting and impressive as was expected. Solly
Williams, Joey Jones, Doug Park and alternate Lise Aune posted
the highest scores jump by jump through the first six rounds,
tied by the Golden Knights only in rounds three, five and
six. |
In rounds seven and nine, Majik had to let the Golden
Knights and PD Blue  win the sole highscore. Majik missed round eleven.
After ten rounds, Majik was six points ahead of the Golden
Knights and had made a huge statement - Majik is ready to take
the prime position in the United States next year. As exciting
as their performance was, Majik still had to watch the Golden
Knights | |
| take the Shugar Cup back home. As a guest team, Majik was
not eligible to win the NSL Championship 2001. Maybe next
year.
Majik had a wonderful day in the air but a tough day on the
ground at  Fantasy
of Flight. While posting great scores in freefall, the team
got beat on the ground. First, Solly Williams and Doug Park
collided with their heads while creeping. Williams' left eye
swelled instantly to a golf ball size, closed completely over
his eye and turned black and
blue. |
At least  Williams has the right team mate for an injury of
the sort. Eye surgeon and Optic Nerve team member, Dr. Joel
Shugar, inspected Williams' eye very carefully before he let
him get back in the air again. Williams did make it through
the remaining rounds, but with very limited vision.
Impressive! |
However, Dr. Shugar was not done with Majic house
calls yet.  A little
bit later, Majik center outside, Joey Jones, needed Shugar's
help too. Jones was competing in 4-way and is a very
successful canopy swooper. Jones had decided to compet in the
Fantasy Swoop at SkyQuest, as well as the NSL Championship,
using his Majik jumps to swoop the pond for money and
medals. |
In the last swooping round, he caught too much water
with his knee.  Dr. Shugar was called to duty again helping Jones
with a needle for the pain. Now, Shannon Pilcher helped out
for Majik taking the center outside slot for the remaining
round. As whole hearted and committed competitors, Williams
and Jones will be back to normal quite soon and DeLand Majik
will surely make many more headlines in the
future. | |
