SAFA Skysailor Magazine

10 SKY SAILOR November | December 2024 Three Aussie pilots competed in the Monroe Paragliding World Cup in the United States recently, where they had the chance to soar over the picturesque scenery of Utah’s mountain ranges and high desert flatlands. David Snowden finished 23rd, Mathew Fiddes came 37th and Stephen Ivin finished 42nd out of 86 competitors from 22 countries. The overall winner of the Monroe PWC was French pilot Baptiste Lambert. The competition spanned eight days, from 7 to 14 September, with the first day being an official training day and the final day, including prize giveaways, closing ceremonies, a BBQ and party for pilots, family and friends. Pilots competed in five different tasks, with the first two stopped part way through due to unfavourable weather conditions. The first task took pilots on a flying distance of around 107.64km, the second 60.84km, third 63.98km, fourth 104.56km and the fifth 118.65km. Mathew said, “The highlight was flying over some spectacular scenery with some amazing people. The Fish Lake high top and Wasatch Plateau were particularly impressive with the mesas overlooking the desert to the east, the final task had us crossing all of these. Also, over the period we were there we wit- nessed the gradual colour change of the Aspen trees to vibrant yellows and reds,” he added. Conditions were varied, with winds on most days. Occasional rain, hail, and gust fronts posed hazards and interrupted the event on several days. Monroe Paragliding World Cup takes pilots to new heights