Hang Gliding and Paragliding Volume 44 / Issue 3: March 2014 | Page 39

task before the start.
Even when we were unable to fly a task, due to wind over
the back at launch, we were able to find unique flying opportunities. The team had a great evening soaring session on the
beautiful grassy slopes of a nearby north-facing pass, which
is topped with a monument to the military victory of 1878,
when Bulgaria gained its independence from the Ottoman
Turks. Flying in smooth ridge lift in such a stunning setting
was a nice change of pace from the intensity of the competition.
In addition to the flying, another enjoyable part of the
event was sharing the experience with my teammates. Staying
together, sharing meals, strategizing on launch, and working
together on retrieve brought the team closer together and
amplified the camaraderie that normally exists at competitions. Having the support of a team manager also added a
new dimension to the Worlds. Rob Sporrer did an amazing
job, allowing us to focus on flying. His organization of all of
the logistics, ability to provide information along course line,

and excellent retrieves made a world of difference.
But like everything in life, this sport has its ups and
downs. The 2013 World Championships illustrated this
fact. We had less than ideal conditions and spent long days
on launch, waiting for the weather to improve and the north
wind to subside. At least we were entertained on launch by
dust devils pulling gear into the air and kids flying kites in the
wind blowing over the back! Due to the conditions, we only
managed five tasks in 12 days.

I

n the end, Team USA did not have a great result at
the 2013 World Championships. A combination of
mistakes, fickle flying conditions and some bad luck
led to a result clearly below our expectations. We
were 23rd out of 38 teams.
There were a few positive results during the competition.
In Task 2, the team came in 7th and Josh came in 3rd for the
task. In Task 4, Team USA came in 3rd with all team members arriving at goal in good time and Eric leading the charge

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

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