Well, it's over. We had two great tasks and the Owens provided the beautiful scenery & excellent flying that it is renowned for. Unfortunately the winds were excessive at launch a few days and the winds aloft kept us on the ground on otherwise flyable days. The decisions to cancel that 5 days were well thought out and in the interest of safety. As Kevin Biernaki said, more than once, "we need to remember that this is only paragliding." I agree that we can't task 80 pilots to fly in obviously marginal conditions in the Owens.

Wayne has a photo gallery at: http://paraglidingphotos.smugmug.com/gallery/6004986_9xfTn#375382594_ti4Q3

Please let me know if you have a gallery to link.

High winds again raised alarm at dawn. Pilots gathered in town and waited to see if the winds would mellow. A group discussed the day the consensus was to not go to launch.

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Congrats!!!

1st place and new National Champion: Dean Stratton

new women's National Champion: Meredyth Malocsay

2nd overall: Josh Cohn

3rd overall: Peter Schaefer

1st serial: Peter Schaefer

2nd serial: Nate Scales

3rd serial: AJ Frye

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Thanks everyone for a fun safe comp!

The day was called at the pilot meeting due to strong winds.

Pilots went to launch but winds were strong and gusty, and predicted stronger. The day was called.

A 103.2km downwind task to the north was called, goal was Mina. Over 40 pilots made goal!

Today we drove to the Gunter launch on the White range. This launch is at 8300' (2524M) and provided a very nice open area,if a bit bushy, for us to lay out & launch. The weather cooperated well - light Southerly winds and good lapse rates & enough moisture to provide some nice clouds. Cloud base during the day was around 15,000'. Any threat of overdeveloping was soon dismissed.

The task was a run North along the Whites that required a dip to the edge of the valley at MVWHIN and the a straight 75K shot to MINA. Total distance, 110K (68miles)

Strong winds on launch and in the valley resulted in today's task being canceled after about 20 competitors launched.

Check out Tim O'Neill's blog at: http://biggovtsucks.blogspot.com/

Today looked good with a chance of winds increasing from the South again. Launch opened at 12:40 and closed 15 minutes later when the safety committee called the day due to gusty conditions at launch and reports of a wind front approaching from the South.

I'm disappointed, but secretly glad to have a day to recoup. I just hope we don't lose many days to the forecast wx that is expected to pass through the Bishop area in the next couple of days.

Open Result is now available: http://flyxc.org/pgnats08.html

Serial and Female results will be up soon.