Hang Gliding and Paragliding Volume 44 / Issue 3: March 2014 | Page 37

BEYOND
the SCOREBOARD
by

A r nold F ra n k e n bur g er

Flying in the 2013 Paragliding World Championships

I

love flying paragliders and nowhere more so than in
competition. Competition events can take you to
far-flung corners of the world, surround you with
like-minded pilots, and push your flying to the limits.
The focus and intensity of competition paragliding can
be immense, while also allowing for camaraderie between
the competitors. There is nothing like battling in the air,
followed by sharing stories and a beer later in goal. The
shared rush is amazing. I haven’t been flying competitions
for all that long, but I am totally hooked.
The World Championships take competition paragliding
to a new level. Every two years, countries from around the
world send their best pilots to compete for the honor of calling themselves W