SDC Rhythm XP Current Members
	JaNette Lefkowitz (Outside Center)		Steve Lefkowitz (Point)		Alex Bittner (Videographer)
	Mikhail Markine (Tail)		Christy Frikken (Inside Center)

SDC Rhythm XP Today

As our team has evolved from season to season, we have seen a lot of changes, but one thing remains the same - a deep, shared commitment to driving our team forward in competition and in helping others to enjoy the sport as much as we do. Each year we execute on a plan that involves more training and more organizing than the last year. In that respect, this year will be no different.

SDC's support offers all the amenities of training and organizing at a world-class facility with other world-class teams, augmented with winter training at Skydive Sebastian and tunnel training at the Paraclete XP wind tunnel, the best wind tunnel in the world.

Team History

Rhythm was originally formed in 2006 by JaNette Lefkowitz, Laurent Beaudouin and Steve Lefkowitz with the goal of becoming the highest-scoring 4-way team the Midwest skydiving league has ever seen. On a cold and wintry night in December '06, we met with CSC DZO Doug Smith and his wife Carolyn to talk through a plan for doing just that. With strong support from Doug, we were able to hire player-coach Robert Chromy as our mentor and inside center. For the final touch, we asked Andy Metcalfe to do video, and he agreed. We had a team!

Focused heavily on the fundamentals - individual flying skills, communication, clean block and random technique - the team's plan included 20+ hours of wind tunnel and close to 300 training jumps. Under Chromy's excellent guidance, we improved from a 10.9 average in the intermediate class in mid-March to a 14.5 average (3rd place) at USPA Nationals in advanced. With the best score any Midwest league team had ever achieved, and a season that exceeded all our expectations for both fun and learning, we reached our goal.

2008 was a great year for Rhythm. We learned and grew individually and as a team. We also grew our Team-for-a-day program, tunnel skills camps, and other organized events. Brian Ball joined us in Inside Center. Kevin Naftzger, long time friend of Rhythm, joined the team as videographer. The team trained at CSC and Paraclete XP, completing about 300 training jumps and 24 hours of tunnel time. At the Nationals Championships in Eloy, we won the Advanced class with a 16.9 average, the highest score ever achieved in that division.

After a rigorous interview and tryout process, considering a number of really great candidates to fill the inside center position, we were excited to welcome former R4 member and 2008 Nationals Intermediate Champion Rob Radez to the team. Rob is someone we had seen now and again at past USPA Nationals since the first time we met at the Orlando tunnel. Not only is he a strong flyer with the skills and qualities we are looking for competitively, but he also has extensive experience coaching around his home town of San Francisco. In the same vein of continued growth, the team decided to move to Skydive Chicago for 2009. After finishing Nationals with an 18.1 average, Laurent Beaudouin retired from the team.

In 2010, we welcomed Thiago Muradas, formerly of Sebastian Tempest, to the Tail slot and Jason Imamura, formerly of R4 with Rob, as the team videographer. After a great year, which included our first international competition at Bodyflight Bedford in England and the first Battle of Midway at Skydive Chicago among other competitions, we reached our goal of breaking a 20 point average with a 20.5 at Nationals, and 5th place in the Open Division.

For the first time in Rhythm's History, 2011 saw the return of the complete lineup for a second year. Able to hit the ground running, we made great progress, continued to compete at world class venues, and took one more step up the rankings at US Nationals with a 21.5 average and 4th place, narrowly missing the medal podium by one tenth. Shortly after nationals we had the opportunity to compete on the world stage at the 3rd Dubai International Parachuting Championships, and this time we medaled with third place and a 21.8 average. It was an exciting and rewarding culmination to the season, and it would be Rob and Jason's last competition with the team.

In 2012, Chris Farina joins us from Perris Fury to fill Rob's slot. Chris and all of Fury have served as examples to us since we began competing, and we're excited to gain from all the experience Chris brings. Also, Alex Bittner joins us to fill the videographer's slot. We got to know Alex as an awesome videographer and all-around great guy over the past few years, and we are very fortunate to have him join the team.

Former Team Members
	Kevin Naftzger (Video)		Laurent Beaudouin (Tail)		Brian Ball (Inside Center)		Andy Metcalfe (Videographer)
	Rob Radez (Inside Center)		Jason Imamura (Videographer)		Chromy (Inside Center)