Red Bull X-Alps 2011 day two – Chrigel Maurer (SUI1) reveals his glider choice and the ground assault begins in earnest
‘Looks like it’s going to rain again…’ Hugh Miller reports from Day 2 of the Red Bull X-Alps 2011
Current Red Bull X-Alps Champion Chrigel Maurer (SUI1) revealed today that he is flying exactly the same model of glider as he did in 2009!
Chrigel looked at the current two-liner wings and decided that they were too demanding to fly, especially in regards to launching and landing them in tight spots, to be considered for the Red Bull X-Alps. He commented that he was very surprised that any athletes had brought two-liners to the event.
There are six pilots on two-liners, two on Gin Boomerang 8s and four on Ozone R11s.
Christian Maurer (SUI1), Paul Guschlbauer (AUT4) - climbing down the Dachstein mountain
Meanwhile, it’s been a hard day on foot for the majority of the athletes. Gloomy weather pinned most to the ground and only a few managed to get airborne at all, and they found no lift. Instead the competition has been battled out on the roads keeping the pack close together – only 26km separate the top 16 at this point.
Pilots met difficult conditions on the Dachstein mountain as they rounded turnpoint two. Freezing snow and ice made for hard going for the athletes who had to switch on their mountaineering brains rather than their flying ones to make it past.
As night approaches the last four athletes are creeping around Dachstein and will be hoping to make it down to the valley floor for a decent sleep with their supporter’s care before the enforced rest period at 23:00.
Christian Amon (AUT2), Paul Guschlbauer (AUT4) and Chrigel Maurer (SUI1) are leading the field ahead of Kaoru Ogisawa (JPN1). It’s going to be heads down and hike hard till 23:00.
GOOD LUCK GUYS!
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