World's richest tunnel event: Skydiving's greats flying for Dubai gold

Belgium’s multi World Championship-winning skydiving team HayaBusa will be one of the hot favourites to strike gold at the 2015 Clash Of Champions, the world’s richest indoor tunnel flying event, being staged at Inflight Dubai from November 26-28.

The three-day tournament will see the sport’s best international teams do battle for a share of $200,000 in what is the world’s tallest and largest indoor tunnel (5.03m x 20.73m).

Representing Belgium will be the HayaBusa team of David Grauwels, Andy Grauwels, Dennis Praet and Jeroen Nollet.

With a wealth of experience and world championship titles to their names, the high-flying Belgians are tipped by many to be among the medals in the AAA Class.

In 2015 alone they have won in Spain, the UK, Belgium, Holland, South Korea and the Czech Republic and are on course to make it a clean sweep of titles at Inflight Dubai.

Founded by David Grauwels in 2002, HayaBusa have great experience of competing in Dubai - last year they trained in the emirate in preparation for the indoor and outdoor season before ending the year as 2014 World Champions.

“Inflight Dubai is one of the most professional projects in the world of indoor skydiving,” said Grauwels. “Over the years we have also trained and competed during the Dubai International Parachuting Championships.”

Grauwels will again be joined in the HayaBusa formation by his brother Andy, also an original team member since 2002, and Dennis Praet who holds the enviable record of never having been part of a losing team in indoor competition having won eleven times from eleven starts since joining HayaBusa in 2010. Completing the four-man line-up will be Jeroen Nollet, a relative newcomer to the group.

“Jeroen joined us in October 2014 and has proved to be a quick learner,” added Grauwels.

“His progression throughout 2015 has been enormous and he has been very eager to have his name alongside the three other members and maintain our continuous raising of the bar.”

With international teams from France, Russia and the USA in the mix, the Belgians know it won’t be easy but they are quietly confident in making their mark in the first Clash of Champions.

“HayaBusa will always look to be on the podium in any event in which we compete,” said Grauwels.

The three-day festival of indoor tunnel flying will see the competitors fight it out in a number of disciplines with their performances monitored by a panel of judges each world-renowned in tunnel flying. As well as four and eight-way Formation Skydiving (featuring four and eight flyers respectively), there will be competition in the Dynamic Skydiving category (two and four-way) as well as a Best Trick discipline.
 

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