British pilot Squash Falconer achieved a lifetime’s ambition in September when she became the first British woman to paraglide from the summit of Mont Blanc, Europe’s highest peak at 4,810 m. An experienced mountaineer with ascents of Aconcagua and 8,000 m Cho Oyu under her belt, she enlisted the help of Annecy-based guide Irwyn Jehu [...]

The Red Bull X-Alps 2009 has arrived!

French company Escape have finished their new competition paraglider, the S’Max 2010. As well as being their highest performing wing, whose succint aims were “simplicity and performance”, it is also the testing ground for all the company’s new ideas. They say that it will surprise you, noy only with its glide, but with its efficiency [...]

Chile’s famous desert paragliding competition, the Iquique Open, took place on the Halloween weekend this year, 28 – 31 October. Leonardo Andrade (CL, Niviuk Icepeak) won, beating Eitel Von Muhlenbrock (CL, Macpara Magus 6) by 200 points. In 18th place overall, making her top woman was Ana Maria Bustos (CL, UP Trango 3). This was [...]

Brazil’s Kamira Rodrigues has flown a record-beating 323 km from Quixada, north east Brazil. If ratified by the FAI the flight, which took place on 8 November, will be a new women’s world record

Escape’s LTF 1-2 / EN B paraglider, the S’Pace, will be available at the end of December, the company has reported. The French company describe the new wing as having high performance, while being very stable and safe. Its glide angle is almost nine and top speed over 50 km/h using the speed system that [...]

Nicole Fedele’s out-and-return female record of 164.6 km, flown from Sorica, Slovenia, on 19 August this year has now been ratified by the FAI. Nicole flew the record on her Airwave Magic 5.

Hang glider pilot Lucas Ridley, winner of the HP ‘You on Youtube’ competition, has now completed his next film: A Leg to Fly On is his entry into the LGfilmfest.com contest, whose theme is LG’s ‘Life’s Good’ mantra. The film tells the story of hang glider pilot Tip Rogers, who continues to fly hang gliders [...]

The Cross Country office is currently experiencing some telecommunications problems, which should be resolved by Thursday. In the meantime, the surest way to communicate with us is via email, on office@xcmag.com Thanks for your understanding, The XC team

‘Back in the game!’ Or is he? Hang gliding superstar Manfred Ruhmer came back to comp flying this year after five years away. Ed Ewing meets the most decorated man in hang gliding

Gradient’s Bigolden2 tandem paraglider has been certified EN C / LTF 2 in a 38 m2 size, joining the aleady-certified 42 m2 version and appealing to smaller tandem pilots. The wing itself is lighter than the previous Bigolden, and Gradient say it has “a thermal-loving profile and easy take-off characteristics”. Director and test pilot Ondrej [...]

Four tasks were flown in the Canungra Cup which took place in Australia from 24 October – 1 November . Fred Gungl won the overall event ahead of Craig Collings and Yoshiaki Nakagawa. The ‘Big Dog’ serial class trophy sponsored by Bernie Kelly was won by Geoff Sexton, with Lindsay Wootten winning the sport class [...]

The 103rd FAI (Federation Aeronautique Internationale) General Conference held in Incheon, Korea, in October was said to be a landmark event at a time when ‘the geopolitical and economic centre of gravity of the world is moving steadily to the East’. The Conference was the first to be held in Asia for almost a quarter [...]

Sky’s Atis 3 paraglider is currently undergoing EN certification for category B. Four sizes will cater for all-up weights of 60 – 130 kg. Sky say the glider is tuned to achieve the maximum performance  in the category, so is aimed at pilots to whom performance is important but who still want the security of [...]

Argentinian Hernan Pitocco has won Cap La Rioja 2009, a cross country competition held in La Rioja, Argentina, reminding us all that his paragliding talents are not limited to acro. Held over 21 – 24 October, four tasks were scored in the FAI cat. II event, and twice Argentinian champion Hernan flew his Sol Tracer [...]

Sol have brought out an extra small version of their school paraglider, the Prymus 3, in response to requests from many of the 65 schools all over the world that use them for training. Certified for take-off weights of 45 – 65 kg, Sol say the XS Prymus 3 is ideal for lightweight beginners and [...]

German Kerim Jaspersen’s short film won the ‘Icare de la Critique’ at the 2009 Coupe Icare in September. Music from Lars Dahlke.

Swing’s new LTF 2 paraglider, the Astral 6, has passed DHV certification in sizes 26 (85 – 110 kg) and 28 (105 – 130 kg) and Swing are now taking orders. Contact your local dealer to arrange a test flight. The company say they will keep the availability status of the various sizes updated on [...]

The registrations for the first round of the FAI cat 2 XC Open World Series 2010 in Manilla, Australia are filling fast, so you should book soon if you don’t want to miss out. The dates are 30 Jan to 6 February, with a maximum of 4 reserve days which will be used only if [...]

Paragliding filmmaker Alun Hughes tells Ed Ewing what it’s like to fly tandem with John Silvester in the Karakoram