No surprises here. The sky ball with various spins is still in use a lot, just not in the now defunct AVP. In some tourneys Dana Camacho put it into action, but unless it is slightly windy, it wasn't a problem for most avp guys. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvbOJSS9ohs
Ed Ratledge is a big nice guy, not prone to quick movement adjustments.