NZ Nationals Winners 2009

NZ Nationals and the Wings & Waves Team

The 2009 NZ National PG Competition was held in Wanaka 2-11 January 2009.

The weather played the game on 2 days out of the week. 2 quite different tasks were flown: The first task was short and racy from Coronet Peak in Queenstown. 27 km, 5 turnpoints and goal at the Flight Park.

The locals did not seem to worry half as much about the strong lee side conditions as those unfamiliar with these conditions. The clouds were obviously coming over the hill from the back, but conditions lower down were in fact thermic and rather calm.

The second task was pretty stunning: We launched from Treble Cone, below the ski field. After a first short flight to the turnpoint towards Wanaka, we then flew into the valley towards Mt Aspiring. With an initially very low cloudbase the task was not all that easy and staying below the clouds a challenge. Once around the corner the the Raspberry Flats, the view was absolutely stunning: Mt Aspiring, glaciers and a beautiful valley. I got rather distracted and had to stop for a couple of photos.

Wanaka task 2

It was a shame not to have more tasks during the week, but unfortunately the weather did not play the game. You get that with PG comps. Maybe the first week of January is not the best time to run the Nationals as the weather typically improves later in the months. But either way, it is also a matter of luck.

Raspberry Flats

While one Aussie guys showed the Kiwis up (but we won't rub that in), Grant Middendorf on his Gin Boomerang was the first Kiwi in the competition, in front of Queenstown's Mark Hardman and Wings & Waves's Reuben Muir. Eva Walton-Keim from Wings & Waves was the best woman. Second was local pilot Harmony Gaw (who was 3rd on the last World Championships).

Raspberry Flat Turnpoint

The win of the competition was not enough to receive the national champion trophy and since Grant Middendorf and Eva had not flown in the other league competitions, Jeff Ripley from Wings & Waves and Harmony Gaw both kept last year's National Champion trophy. With all 5 Wings & Waves instructors in the top 10, we were really happy with the results.

Our webmaster Wayne Rohrs on his Gin Rebel received the prize of the most improved pilot.

Below are the result lists as supplied by Kat West.

Results NZ Nationals