SAFA Skysailor Magazine

13 July | August 2024 SKY SAILOR Four members of Newcastle Paragliding Club organise and run the event, but it is the ‘Weather Gods’ who get all the credit. Every day was fantastic, starting off on Friday with 51 pilots flying more than 100km. A total of 53 pilots broke their previous personal best (PB) distance that same day, and others did so on Saturday and Sunday. In the end 151 pilots competed and with the free flyers, there were over 185 pilots in the air, including 33 Fun class pilots, 52 Sports class pilots, 35 Ace pilots with most also acting as Crew Chiefs. The longest flights on each day were 190km, 206km, and on Sunday 153km. In the end, Queensland came out on top and backed up their 2021 and 2022 wins. The Barbarians were second, and that means the Cockroaches were in third. Hugo’s ‘Bomb-ble Bees’, an all Tasmanian crew, had both the overall winner and top female in their five-pilot group. Fun class / Overall Sports class 1. Tim Warren Lambert Dondin Ace class Women 1. Sean Hammill Laura Grainger Tandem 1. Hammed Malik The Paragliding State of Origin is a lot of fun. Our thanks to Godfrey Wenness for hosting the event and having us all at Mt Borah. Thanks also to the captains of Queensland – Susy Goldner and Carol Liang, New South Wales – Barbara Meister and Catherine McMillan, and the Barbarians – Ramon Photos: Heidi Kruger, Matthew Fiddes and Peter Beamish