NZ Champions!

NZ Champions: Grant Middendorf, Evan Lamberton, Eva Walton-Keim, Reuben Muir, Jeff Ripley

After the first round of the NZ Nationals in Canungra in November, and Round 2 of the NZ Nationals in Wanaka early January, we have new 2011 NZ Champions:

Grant Middendorf, on his brand-new GIN 2liner proto, won the men's competition.

Eva Walton-Keim, on her GIN BoomerangGTO, won the women's competition and came 4th in the men's (3rd Kiwi) which is an all time woman's record. She also had the best Kiwi result for serial gliders, only Ian, a Australian pilot on the same glider, also a GIN GTO was just in front of her.

The Wings & Waves Team, with Reuben Muir, Jeff Ripley, Evan Lamberton and Eva Walton-Keim won the NZ Provincial Paragliding Trophy.

As most years, the first week of January started with bad weather: Rain and high winds. Only the last weekend offered flyable conditions.

On Saturday, we launched at Long Gully launch near Hawea and flew a task from there, across Hawea, then up the range of mountains between Lake Hawea and Lake Wanaka. The conditions were tricky: Many pilots bombed near launch. The rest of us had to battle very challenging and rough conditions along the range, then across the flats to Mount Maud. "Level 2 and Level 3 conditions" were called by the safety committee which consisted of Evan Lamberton, local Peter Groves and Eva. That means that we considered the conditions "uncomfortable, rough, but still flyable" (Level 2) and "too rough and dangerous where I am right now on the course - I am going to land" (Level 3).

on my way to Mt Maud

Still, the brave and tough pilots went on while some bailed out.

By the end of the racing day, a group of us got to watch the leading pilots (Grant Middendorf and Russell Read) on their huge final glide into goal from Mt Maud, across the Hawea flats. It was a gripping finish!

Russell was in front on his Ozone R10. Middy went on glide an entire thermal behind him on his new GIN Boomerang 2liner proto. From behind in time and distance, Middy managed to glide faster and better and coming from behind to win the day in front of Russell. What a finish and what a test for his new glider!

view Long Gully turnpoint

A few points in the lead, nerves or something got to Middy the next day, and he made a mistake setting up the start time for the task on his instrument, which ruined his chances to win the day. The times were changed on the board after the briefing, which caught out a few pilots. Even the top pilots make mistakes...! That was a great shame, because clearly he knew the best way to fly the task and to goal, a wisdom he generously shared with Eva who ended up flying this recommended course to goal all by herself - even if she was not fast enough to win the day. I am sure it was the best way to go and a faster pilot on a faster glider could have won the day going that way. Instead, the day went to Russell without contest from Middy.

on route to goal

Many of the Wings & Waves pilots did very well on this second day and took place 2nd (Reuben Muir), 3rd (Jeff Ripley) and 5th place (Eva Walton-Keim), all very close in points. Basically all the experience pilots who choose not to fly a comp wing, were on Gin GTOs, both the Kiwis and Australians.

Two days of competition are not enough to find the best pilot, the luck factor is too great and skills and consistency does not show through on such a short competition. That's why the competition committee had decided earlier in the year, that we two rounds of competition are going to count towards the NZ National Champion title. Round 1 was run in Canungra in late October.

Grant Middendorf won the NZ Championships, followed by Reuben, then Eva. With place 4 in the NZ Championships (and the Wanaka competition), Eva achieved the best woman's result ever in NZ.