Beginner Body Piloting Round Robin – Event Recap

The Beginner Body Piloting Round Robin made its debut as a showcase discipline at the 2025 Australian Indoor Skydive Nationals. This was the first time Body Piloting entered the Nationals stage, marking an important milestone as we work toward taking the discipline worldwide and establishing it as a recognized competitive format across tunnels globally.

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Event Highlights

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The Format

• Showcase Discipline: Four beginner-level pilots — Sebastian Smith, Joshua Gannon, Jakob Kapelj, and Shalaura Bromilow — went head-to-head in a round robin format, ensuring everyone faced each other once.

• Judging Criteria: Each matchup was contested across two rounds, with busts recorded for line discipline (top and bottom) and trick execution. The format rewarded consistency and control under pressure, giving new pilots a fair platform to compete.

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Standout Performances

• Joshua Gannon – Undefeated Champion 
  Joshua went 3–0 across the tournament, showing clean flying, excellent line control, and calm consistency. Even when mistakes appeared, he avoided collapses and held his standard across every match, making him the clear first champion of the discipline.

• Sebastian Smith – Steady Challenger
  Sebastian took 2 wins and 1 loss. His strong line awareness and composure made him one of the cleanest flyers in the tournament, though trick execution errors cost him at times. His performances showed clear promise for the next level.

• Jakob Kapelj – Learning Through Fire
  Jakob’s 1–2 record reflected a mix of flashes of brilliance and costly inconsistency. His Round 1 struggles often gave way to better Round 2 recoveries, proving that with steadier line control, he could be a force in future events.

• Shalaura Bromilow – Courageous Competitor
  Shalaura fought hard in every match but finished winless. She faced challenges with both line discipline and trick control, often recording high bust totals. Still, her presence and persistence reflected the spirit of a beginner showcase — gaining valuable competitive experience at the Nationals stage.

Tournament Flow

• Match 1 (Sebastian vs Joshua) – A tight opener where Joshua’s steadiness outlasted Sebastian’s shaky start.

• Match 2 (Shalaura vs Jakob) – Jakob’s clean execution stood out against Shalaura’s repeated line errors.

• Match 3 (Jakob vs Sebastian) – Sebastian stayed steady and claimed the win with strong line control.

• Match 4 (Shalaura vs Joshua) – Joshua dominated, conceding just two busts across both rounds.

• Match 5 (Joshua vs Jakob) – Joshua’s clean Round 1 secured the win despite a costly leader penalty later.

• Match 6 (Shalaura vs Sebastian) – Sebastian closed strong, keeping control while Shalaura struggled with repeated busts.

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Final Standings

• 🥇 1st – Joshua Gannon (3 wins, 0 losses) – Undefeated Champion

• 🥈 2nd – Sebastian Smith (2 wins, 1 loss) – Clean line control, improving every match

• 🥉 3rd – Jakob Kapelj (1 win, 2 losses) – Showed promise but lacked consistency

• 4th – Shalaura Bromilow (0 wins, 3 losses) – Valuable experience at Nationals debut

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Overall Experience

The Body Piloting Round Robin Showcase at the 2025 Australian Indoor Skydive Nationals was more than just a beginner-level tournament — it was a proof of concept for a discipline designed to be accessible, fair, and exciting to watch.

By focusing on busts and control, the format stripped away subjectivity and created clear, easy-to-follow results for both competitors and spectators. It gave new pilots the chance to experience real competition pressure in front of a Nationals crowd, while also demonstrating to the global community that Body Piloting can scale into a worldwide sport.

This first showcase event laid the foundation for expansion. With the success of the Nationals debut, the goal is clear: to take Body Piloting worldwide, bringing the same spirit of precision, progression, and competitive excitement to tunnels across the globe.