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Manfred Ruhmer is 2017 World Hang Gliding Class 2 Champion – his seventh consecutive title – and Patrick Chopard is Class 5 Champion! The two World Championship events were run alongside each other in Aspres-sur-Buech, France, from 26 July to 6 August 2017. Eight pilots took part in the Class 2 competition, which was battled out […] …read more

Source:: Cross Country – International Free Flying Magazine

The Paragliding World Cup in Disentis, Switzerland, starts today. The PWC reports:

“8 out of the top 10 pilots are here from the 2015 Disentis World Cup and both the top ladies from the Pre World Cup in 2014 and the 2015 World Cup are here. There are 33 Swiss pilots competing who know these Alps like the back of their harnesses, this promises to be a very exciting race.

Disentis is right in the middle of Switzerland, on the main spine of the Alps, so we should see some classic Alpine big mountain flying with high peaks, deep valleys and complicated aerology.

Disentis is a big, diverse paragliding playground. In the 2015 comp they managed to send pilots deep into the mountains avoiding a ridge run competition – let’s hope we see more of the same fantastic task setting with lots of route choices in this competition”

You can follow the competition via the live commentary and tracking on: http://www.pwca.org/
Stay tuned for more news from the Swiss Alps. Good luck to all the pilots!

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Source:: Ozone Paragliders

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Source:: Just Acro

The XC Retrieve Sign will significantly increase your chances of getting home quickly. Basically, it explains that you’re a stranded paraglider pilot and not Norman Bates from Psycho. Invaluable! In tests we’ve found a lot of drivers have picked pilots up who wouldn’t normally stop for hitchhikers, and the sign has made the difference. The […] …read more

Source:: Cross Country – International Free Flying Magazine

The European summer has been packed with amazing flights and we have received stories from all over. The next story comes from the South Tyrol in Italy where Lex Robe follows his instinct and, against the odds, finds his way to his first 300+ km FAI triangle from the Grente in the beautiful Antholz Valley, Enjoy:

“On our way to the takeoff we were a bit unsure about the weather. Hardly anyone of my flying mates followed my public Facebook “Grente-invitation”, heavy rain from Emberger Alm until Italy and finally just us 6 Austrians and just 2 locals with a tandem believed in the day and climbed to the summit of Grente Alm above Anterselva. Although we started a little late we were rewarded with an already turned on airmass and especially with plenty of height alreday in the first thermal. So the initial risk of early takeoffs to bomb out was successfully defused and the way to the Großglockner (highest peak of Austria) was a no-brainer: High cloudbase and low winds allowed a safe extension of the first Turnpoint to the east.

After tagging it, battling 10-20km/h headwind along the 120km from Großglockner to the end of the Ridnaun valley …read more

Source:: Ozone Paragliders

Cross Country mag columnist Théo de Blic won the second Acro Game – for the second time! The 2017 competition took place in Organyá, Spain at the end of July. Théo shared the podium with Horacio Llorens, whose brainchild the competition is, in second and François Ragolski in third. Acro Game takes place over two […] …read more

Source:: Cross Country – International Free Flying Magazine

Liv Sansoz to the conquest of the Alps. …read more

Source:: Niviuk

After 4 valid tasks, the Spanish Nationals celebrated in Àger has come to an end. Our team pilot, Xevi Bonet reports:

“We flew 4 excellent tasks. The first day, with westerly winds in the forecast, the task was a 128 km race to goal, a direct line from the official take off to Sant Pere de Torello. The winner of the day was Felix Rodriguez who flew at an average speed of 44 km/h!!!

The second task, of 71 km, started along Àger Valley and continued into Isona Valley. This task finished in the nicest goal in the area, El Xiringito right at the shores of La Pobla de Segur’s swamp. The winner was Mario Arque on his Zeno.

The third task, with more southerly wind flow, we flew straight into the core of the Pyrenees, with goal in the well known Valle de Boi. The young french pilot, Tom Chauvin, won the task on his Zeno.

The fourth and last day of competition, with big cloud developments for the afternoon, the task was a 60 km race to goal towards Vilanova de Meià, flying along Isona Vallley and with goal, once again, in Xiringuito. This time I was the lucky …read more

Source:: Ozone Paragliders