Canadian National Paragliding Championships - Final Scores

I know, I know, it's a bit late to post the scores...here they are! I didn't post them last night as it was awards night and the podium got shuffled up on the last day and I had prying eyes on the results page. We usually do all the scoring on the projector but I chose to do it in private today.

We were quite concerned about the winds on launch...probably our highest winds of the comp. I was really close to canceling the day...but glad I didn't. We opened launch at 4:15 as it mellowed out a bit and the free-fliers (all hang gliders) were actually starting to climb high enough to go on task.

Bruno was in first going into Saturday with a narrow lead barely above four others. I have never seen a tighter race going into the last day nor have I seen a more nervous points leader. It was great to see Bruno end up being the first to climb out way higher than all the rest and head off downwind on his way to goal and competition victory. He was the only one to make goal on Saturday to prove he was our champion.

The locals were of course thrilled to have the victor one of their locals and they paid tribute to him by pitching him into the pool - good time! The party that ensued down at the hang gliding tow park was great with the Bullshit Blues Band playing.

The Standard class got completly shuffled up on the last day as well. The top three guys were in the same last thermal and they were still egging one another on in friendly competition. In the end Bruce Busby regained his title that he was defending all week. He came from well behind to come up on top on the last day. Bruce did pay tribute to his nemesis of this comp, Fred Gauvin (another bi-wingual pilot), who missed a day of comp to go to work.

So another great comp comes to an end. The flying was great despite the high winds we had all week but it is still great to see the pilots rise to the top having to deal with whatever conditions they are given.

Thanks to the local community to invite me to be a part of this event. It was a great success and many say it will help inspire a much bigger local competition scene.