 |
Team Kahu
Paraglide New Zealand 
28 March 2005
World Paragliding Championship Concludes in Brazil
The 9th World Paragliding Championships concluded on March 27th in Brazil,
with a record ten successful days of competition flying. 150 Competitors
representing 42 countries competed in sweltering tropical conditions of
Governador Valadores, in eastern Brazil.
Competitors fly their paragliders in
invisible columns of rising air,
known as thermals, to gain height,
and by finding a number of these
thermals long cross country flights
can be made. Pilots use GPS
instruments to race around
courses which are set each day
according to wind and weather
conditions. Individuals gain points
each day for the distance and
speed that they achieve around
the course, and the accumulated
points over the ten days of
competition determine the overall
individual and national placings.
The traditionally strong European competitors
dominated the Brazilian event which was flown
in difficult light thermic conditions, where low cloud bases
prevented large height gains. The daily race tasks ranged from 55km to 76km,
with between five and fifty pilots completing the full distance on most
days.
The first placed individual was Steve Cox of Switzerland, and the top women,
in 18th place, was Louise Crandall of Denmark. The Switzerland team won
first place in the nations rankings, followed closely by Germany and Czech
Republic.
The New Zealand team, known as Team Kahu (after the NZ Native Harrier Hawk)
achieved 23rd place in the national rankings, with individual placings of
70th Grant Middendorf (Ohai, Southland), 91th Thomas Rold (Queenstown),
136th Harmony Gaw (Wanaka) and 147th Kat West (Wanaka).
New Zealand's Team Kahu received support from the New Zealand Community
Trust to assist with travel to Brazil for this event.
New Zealand's Team Kahu Website: www.teamkahu.homestead.com
9th World Paragliding Championships Website: http://www.2005worlds.com
Peter Groves
Media Liasion Officer
pcgroves AT hotmail.com
ph. 03 4424204
Mob. 021 2979558
Since 20 March 2005
