Cross Country

2020 vision

None of us know what is coming round the corner in free flight, but we do know we need to be prepared for whatever may happen. That’s one of the reasons we spend so much time preparing our kit, or researching places to fly or the potential of an XC route. It’s why we check the forecast on our phones religiously, and even now wave a hand to silence people when the local forecast comes on TV. We want to know what potentially might happen: will it be epic or blown out? Should we make the trip or stay at home and fix the kitchen? The planning, waiting and anticipation make up as much of the journey as the execution. I was reminded of this at a pre-Christmas party where a pilot…

contributors

Koen Vancampenhoudt is an XC pilot based in the US flatlands. He shares his advice on how to start a tow club. “The last thing you want to do is to ‘build your own’ or buy someone else’s garage-invention. You want proven technology with the bugs worked out already! Read more on p48 Frank Schaufuss (left) and Rolf von Arx are two old friends who have been flying for a while. Looking for adventure, they stayed local and found it in their own backyard. Switching off their phones, they kick-started their way through a weekend in Switzerland on Royal Enfields. See more on p78 “GRAB A SMALL WING THIS WINTER AND GET OUTSIDE!”Gavin McClurg Jérôme Maupoint is back with his stunning shots from the Lofoten Islands in Norway. One of the most established…

in the core

XContest 2020 As we enter 2020 it’s worth noting who’s leading the XContest online league after a big season in South America. Guy Anderson (GB) is on top, having racked up five 400km flights and one 535km world record in Brazil. Seb Ospina (GB) is second, with Christoph Dunkl (CH) in third spot. New women’s world record holder Yael Margelisch (CH) is leading the women, with Patricia Garcia de Letona (MX) and Joanna Di Grigoli in second and third. The Alpine triangle season starts soon – there’s some catching up to be done! xcontest.org Damian Lestarpe Damian Lestarpe broke new ground in Argentina in December, with a long 282.5km flight across the Pampas. Launching from tow inland he flew east, towards the coast, and almost made it to the beach. He was flying…

stubai cup back for 2020

The Stubai Cup is back for 2020. The early-season paragliding festival in the Stubai Valley in Austria will take place over the weekend of 6-8 March. The first big international festival and testival of the year in Europe, the Stubai Cup was forced to take a break last year over insurance and liability issues. The fear was that it had been killed off permanently, but after a year of negotiations the Stubai Cup team is “ready and fully motivated” to bring it back with a bang. Founded in 1988 by Hans-Peter Eller of the Parafly Stubaital flying school, the Stubai Cup was originally a glide competition held in January. Manufacturers would take their latest creation to the top of the Elferbahnen ski lift 800m above the valley floor and compare and contrast,…

rise and fall 2019

A few stars came out for the one-day Rise&Fall relay adventure race in Austria in December. Red Bull X-Alps athletes Aaron Durogati and Chrigel Maurer were on the overall podium, and former women’s paragliding world champion Klaudia Bulgakow also made it onto the podium in the women’s class. As the name suggests Rise&Fall is all about going up the mountain and getting back down it as quickly as possible. Some 312 athletes from across Europe battled it out in 78 teams of four this year, including eight teams of women. Setting off from Mayrhofen at 1pm sharp, the ski mountaineers had to race 1.3km uphill before handing over to the pilots. They then had to fly 3.2km distance and 430m descent back down to the valley before running 400m at a sprint…

in brief

FAI moves at the top FAI secretary general Susanne Schödel stepped down in December after nearly six years in the post. She resigned from the top role at the World Air Sports Federation following the AGM in Lausanne, Switzerland and was replaced by FAI official Markus Haggeney (pictured) as acting secretary general. FAI president Bob Henderson said, “[Susanne] has done her utmost to deliver outcomes that benefit the whole organisation. I wish her the very best for the future.” fai.org ‘Outstanding achievement’ Sasha Serebrennikova (RU) was awarded the prestigious Sabiha Gökçen Medal at the FAI annual awards in Lausanne in December. The medal is given “For her outstanding achievements in hang gliding and her two world records in 2018.” Congratulations Sasha. fai.org…