Inspired by the Red Bull X-Alps but tailored to be possible to a large number of pilots, the Cross-fly set pilots the task of flying the French Alps from the southern Vercors all the way to Mt Blanc in five days.

The race was divided into achievable day-stages, beginning on 6 July at Gresse en Vercors and arriving at Chamonix’s Plaine Joux on 10 July. Plenty of help and advice was on hand for pilots, including weather briefings, route advice, no-go areas etc. Bivouacs and meals were organised, and navettes used to transport pilots to take offs and bivouac sites if necessary.

96 pilots took part in the event. Top of the men’s results were Olivier Henry, Sylvain Dhonneur and Alain Finet. Sophie Verhaege was first lady, ahead of Bénédicte Saury-Jourdain and Catherine Bartholdi. Top team was ‘Benny’s’, comprising Olivier, Bénédicte and Gerard Legras)

www.cross-fly.com

Tolmin hosted the Slovenian Open Championship from 16 – 22 August. After four valid tasks ranging between 70 and 114 km distance, Primoz Gricar (SL, Aeros Combat L13) won ahead of Thomas Weissenberger (AT, Moyes Litespeed RS) and Gerd Doenhuber (DE, Moyes Litespeed RS 3.5).

The second Slovenian was Peter Kejzar and third Franc Peternel, both flying Aeros Combats.

hg.sffa.org/open2009

The Russian championship ran from 3 to 16 August in Middle Akhtuba (near Volgograd). 32 pilots flew six tasks, with Dmitry Russov (Ukraine) finishing first, Vladimir Leuskov (Moscow) second and Maxim Sadovnikov third. Natalia Petrova was first female.

www.deltaplanerizm.ru/news/147

Following on from the success of the 2009 Annecy Expo, the 2010 event is already being brought together. With the support of the French free flight federation (FFVL) and local businesses, it will take place over the May bank holiday weekend at Doussard, Annecy (30 April – 2 May 2010).

The big sports hall will house the product exhibition, and the large field and shuttle service to Forclaz will make demoing equipment hassle-free. APX2010 will also host the first French inter-club championships, a multi-discipline event including cross country, fly hiking and accuracy.

For more information, see the organisers at their stand at the St Hilaire festival (near the Sup’Air stand) or visit www.apx2010.fr

The 2010 pre worlds in Montecucco, Italy, will be from 26 July to 7 August. This is the forerunner to the 2011 World Championships. More details will follow in due course.

www.cucco2011.org
www.parks.it/parco.monte.cucco/Eindex.html

Last year’s popular hang gliding competition, the Santa Cruz flats race, Arizona, USA,  has changed dates to benefit from lingering monsoonal moisture that will hopefully bring cumulus this year.  The dates are 20-26 September with a practice day on 19th.

Competitors will be staying at the Francisco Grande Hotel and interested pilots are asked to book as soon as possible, as organisers have reserved a block of rooms but these may not accommodate everyone.

You can register at http://goflyxc.com/2009/santa_cruz_flats.  Entry fee is $375 USD, due promptly after registration to secure your spot.  Towing fees will be determined based on pilot/tug numbers and organisers will inform by email.

On 26 July, British pilot Toby Colombé of Passion Paragliding set a new out and return tandem world record with a 168 km flight from Sorica in Slovenia into the Julian Alps, and then back to Slovenia.

The flight took just over seven hours, and extended the previous world record set two years ago by local hot shot Tomaz Erzen, by 9 km. Toby was flying a Gradient BiGolden XC for the first time – some test flight!

Toby thanked Cefn Hoile for “being the perfect passenger as well as exhibiting extraordinary bladder control”, and Brett Janaway of XTC Paragliding for providing much needed encouragement and logistical support … oh, and for allowing Toby to test fly his wing.

www.passionparagliding.com

Parapentitis.com are running a new national competition in Oaxaca, southern Mexico from 13 – 16 November 2009. Pilots should pre-register online.
info@parapentitis.com

White Air 09 is a huge sports and music festival which will be taking place in the seaside venue of Brighton, England, from 18 – 20 September. Visit their website and look at the enormous list of just about every outdoor / extreme sport you’ve ever heard of (and almost as many that you probably haven’t), and then go along to the event to watch it in action, or even try your hand at it. As if that wasn’t enough to bombard your senses for one weekend, it is to be combined with live music from the likes of Biffy Clyro, Doves White Lies, British Sea Power and the Lyrebirds.

Weekend tickets are 65 GBP, or day tickets 35 GBP, with family tickets and student reductions available. They can be bought online at www.whiteair.co.uk/tickets.

If you really can’t get there, and you have some time on your hands (don’t be tempted unless you do!), then at least go and have a browse on www.whiteair.co.uk and introduce yourself to the concepts of bocking, orb and brush boarding (amongst 37 others) as extreme sports!

The dates for the next Bogong Cup are 16 – 23 January 2010, with registration, downloads and a practise day on 15th.

As times are hard at the moment, it will be a no-frills event with a reduced entry fee over last year’s, but there will still be prize money of at least $1,200. To encourage the participation and development of local pilots, the B Grade category is being revived, and half of the comp’s prize money will be awarded to the first 3 places in the B grade. There is also a substantial prize for the Joel Rebecchi Encouragement Award.

Organisers are looking for a suitably experienced pilot to be our Launch Director for the 2010 comp. If you’re interested or know someone who is, drop us a line.

info@bogongcup.com
www.bogongcup.com