The Red Bull X-Alps will be remembered as the toughest paragliding competition of 2003. It may well go down as the toughest ever. Kaspar Henny was the first to land in Monaco and win the competition, but all those who entered were champions – first to be selected, and second to have had the guts to take part.

Few pilots dispute that Alex Hofer, the 2002 PWC Champion, is the best competition pilot in the world, and few were surprised by his win at the 2003 Paragliding World Championships. Ian Blackmore went to watch the action unfold in stable, difficult conditions at Montelegre, Portugal.

Carol Binder gets the low-down from the contenders at the 14th Hang Gliding World Championships

Jerome Maupoint reports on two of the latest paragliding acro events, Vertigo and Acrolac. Translation by Sherry Thevenot.

Stephen Winkworth remembers the hang gliding CAP 1111 – the great trans-Alpine flight of the poet-vagabond of vol-bivouac, Didier Favre

Take two of my favourite sports, paragliding and kite surfing, put me on a beach with Fabrice Tripier Mandancin, the European free style snow kite champion, and you can be sure something silly will happen. By Matt Taggart.

David Casartelli tells the story of the day in 2003 paragliders top-landed Mont Blanc