Hang Gliding and Paragliding Volume 44 / Issue 3: March 2014 | Page 52

Most notable for the 2013 series of events was Fabian Perez, who not
only won the Category 2 competition (EN-C) but also beat the top three
pilots in the Category 1 (EN-D) competition. Frank Marquis should also
be commended for beating the top three pilots on EN-D gliders whilst
flying his EN-C glider. Excellent show!
Pilot Testimonials
Kurt Niznik
I first flew with the NCXC league in
2006. Back then, I was a low-airtime
pilot, and trying to fly tasks didn’t
particularly suit me or my flying goals,
so I didn’t stick with it for the whole
season. Coming back in 2012, I have
a perspective on how much the league
has matured. Of course, Jug still runs
it, Josh and Eric still win most of the
time and Moock still thermals with
one leg hanging out of his pod, but
there have been many changes. Much
thought has been put into organizing
retrieves for all the task pilots, and the
necessity of providing this service has
become accepted among the pilots. We
pay more to have retrieve drivers and
vehicles, and it really is worth it. After
years of XC flights from our sites, the
routes are more thoroughly understood and task setting reflects this accumulated knowledge and, in general,
seems safer and more reasonable for
the group as a whole. Over the years,
information and advice on competition
and XC flying has been collected and
made available for pilots joining the
league as a sort of “how-to” resource
for getting involved and enjoying

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HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

the experience. All of these things
are positive changes that are helping
participants get more out of their XC
league experience and become better
pilots. I see more pilots participating
now, and many have greatly improved
their competition skills through their
years in the NCXC league.

Reavis Sutphin-Gray
I recently looked through my “log
book” (I actually use a spreadsheet)
and revisited the highs and lows of
my five short years of paragliding to
date. One thing that really stood out
is how many of my personal bests
were attained while flying at Northern
California Cross-country League
meets. I’ve had some great achievements and really memorable experiences flying on my own and with other
groups, but it’s clear that the league
has played an instrumental role in my
progression.
I remember flights from my first
summer with the league, when I would
sink out below launch and blame it
on the weak thermals or high clouds
blocking the sun. At the end of the
day, I’d find out that others had flown

all the way to goal along a course of 60
kilometers or more. Experiences like
that inspired me to apply myself to
learning as much as possible. Clearly,
being a knowledgeable and skillful
pilot opened up a world of possibilities. I think that flying in a group that
often includes some of the world’s best
pilots, consistently attempts challenging tasks, discusses the ins and outs of
a day’s flying around a campfire, and
takes safety seriously has to be one of
the most effective ways to accelerate
that learning process.
This year, the final meet in the
Owens Valley delivered some of the
best conditions I have ever seen, and
I flew higher and farther than ever
before! However, it’s clear to me that
I’ve really only scratched the surface
of what’s possible with a paraglider
and that there is always more to learn.
By the time this is printed, spring
will be returning to the mountains of
California and I’ll be preparing to go
camping and flying with my wonderful friends in the Northern California
Cross-country League. I can’t wait!
Thanks, Jug, for making it all
happen!