2019-10-04 07:26

The next round of the Paragliding World Cup Asian Tour will take place in Gochang, South Korea, from the 4th to the 11th of October.



This year sees the launch of the new Asian Tour. Each event has the same status as a Pre World Cup, as the winner will automatically qualify for the Super Final. Apart from giving pilots the opportunity to discover fantastic untried locations, the idea is to train new organisers and bring the Paragliding World Cup concept to Asia.

Some of the World's finest pilots will be taking to the skies, enjoying the rich autumn colours in South Korea from the 4th of October onwards including Petra Slivova, Torsten Siegel, Jungman Choi, Idris Birch, Yongtae Ahn, Chigwon Won, Harry Buntz and the inimitable, Gin Seok Song.

South Korea is well known for its artistic cuisine, mostly unrecognisable to westerners, but impossible not to fall in love with, punctuated with a bowl of Kimchi at the end of every chopstick. South Korea is a must visit location for any World traveller.

Come and join us above the forested mountains of Gochang, in the south west corner of South Korea, by clicking on "Change to Asian Tour" above. Philippe Broers will also be posting videos of the event.

For those who can't make this event, a Paragliding World Cup will take place in Gochang in October 2020.

2019-09-22 23:37

2019-09-22 23:36

2019-09-22 23:33

2019-09-14 19:21

With blue skies, north east winds and no risk of precipitation, a 94 km concentric circles task was set to the west of Andradas, with goal near Andradas.

All eyes were on the eight pilots who could win the competition. It was not a day for taking risks.

The wind changed as they went around the course, north east as they went to the first turn point, and as they went into the concentric circles part of the race the wind changed to easterly. Virtually everyone took the route over the big town of Sao Joao da Boa Vista. The race to the last turn point was nail biting as the overall leaders marked each other. As the leaders rounded the last turn point and headed towards goal, the covered sky and head wind made the going very tough. As the leaders arrived in goal, the conditions worsened. Just after half the field arrived in goal the heavens opened, and it started to pour with rain so that the task had to be stopped.

The average speed of the fastest pilot round the course today was 38km/h.

What an amazing week. The 117 pilots in the competition flew a grand total of 68,549km in seven days, proving once again that Brazil is the land of great skies and big smiles.

Muito obrigado Brasil, nos vemos em breve!
Thank-you Brazil, see you again soon!


Photo by Matt Henzi.

2019-09-14 18:34

It's been a nail biting final day - despite the stopped task (Due to rain) we got 59 pilots in goal. The results are now final.

The Paragliding World Cup would like to congratulate our winners - Baptiste LAMBERT (Open) - Marcella UCHOA (Women) and team Kortel Design

The next event in the PWCA calendar is Loma Bola (Argentina) but we also have an Asian Tour event in South Korea (Gochang) starting on 4/10/2019 - keep watching !

2019-09-14 15:24

2019-09-14 11:59

2019-09-14 09:44

After a night of well-earned rest the final day of the competition beckons. Once more, the conditions look fantastic. (Photo by Ulric Jessopi)


More news around 11:00...

2019-09-13 19:47

With the little wind that there was switching continuously on launch, a 92 km task was set taking the pilots west, then south, then back north to Andradas.

Today was very different to the previous days. There was an inversion layer which made it difficult to see more than half a kilometre in front of you. It was windy, blowing the pilots off the course line, with a head wind, or a cross wind, all day long, no matter which direction they tried to fly. As Matt Henzi emailed in during the task, 'it's a little bit desperate out here!' Between the two turn points the task spread everyone out. The thermals were broken. It was a tricky, technical day.

Gilmar Couto took the lead just after the second turn point. Having lived here for 20 years, he proved that it was a day when local knowledge really counted. He crossed ESS eight and a half minutes ahead of the others, to loud cheers from the terrace of his local bar 'The General Beer,' on the edge of the goal field.

Despite the difficult conditions 69 pilots made goal and the average speed of the fastest pilot round the course was 28km/h.


Photo by Matt Henzi.

2019-09-13 19:23

It was quite a race. The winners were in goal by 15:25 but its taken a while to complete the retrieve.

69 pilots made goal but the winner (Gilmar Couto) did it nearly a whole 8 minutes ahead of anyone else.

Just 100 points separates the top 12 overall at the moment so tomorrow is very important - final day and everything to play for...

See you in the morning

2019-09-13 11:18

2019-09-13 08:13

Looks like another 100+ km day today in Brazil, the land of seven day comps. (Photo by Matt Henzi)


More news around 11:00...

2019-09-12 21:51

A 108 km task with only one turnpoint was set taking the pilots south followed by a long leg east to Pouso Alegre, which in Portuguese means, 'Happy Landings.'

There was quite a lot of high cumulus and a north west wind. It was a day when it was initially difficult to keep below the maximum altitude of 3048m!

After the first turn point there were lots of options of flats, hills and high mountains. The task totally spread the pilots out, and the flats worked best leaving those in the mountains struggling. The first half of the race was really fast with booming conditions at the beginning of the course. 45 km from goal the thermals became weak and it was time to change gear and, for many, go into survival mode. A small lead gaggle of six, who stayed on the course line, got to goal twenty minutes before the rest. The humidity by the river towards the end of the race compounded the weak conditions and left many sadly landing short of goal. However, 49 did manage to make goal.

The average speed of the fastest pilot round the course: 40km/h.


Photo by Matt Henzi.

2019-09-12 21:48

Its been a very long day - it turned out that the goal was more than 2 hours away (by road) so the last pilots are only just back at HQ

The conditions proved trickier today and only just over 40% (49 pilots) actually made the goal.

Everyone is now back and the 2019 PWCA General Assembly is underway a short distance from HQ - meanwhile the results are available online. See you again tomorrow...

2019-09-12 11:21

2019-09-12 09:10

Briefing for another excellent race, more great conditions are expected today. (Photo by Ruth Jessop)


More news around 11:00...

2019-09-11 19:25

Despite there being very little lift on launch, making it difficult to get up initially, the conditions out in the flats were strong. There was very little wind, giving a fast 100km race with times when it was difficult to stay under the race altitude limit of 3048m.

80% of the 100km was a full on race, pushing speed bars to their limits. The only time they lifted their feet off the accelerator was to stop and climb. The three turn point circuit out into the flats brought the pilots back to goal near Andradas. Great task setting saw 104 pilots make goal. In the words of 18 year old Caio Buzzarello, 'it was a perfect day and the perfect task.'

Today the paparazzi were out in force on launch with TV cameras, so tomorrow, on the Brazilian TV station, 'Good Morning Sao Paolo,' they will be featuring the competition.

The average speed of the fastest pilot around the course was: 39km/h, incredible for a closed circuit course.


Photo by Ruth Jessop.

2019-09-11 18:55

It was an amazingly quick task. The winning pilot made goal in just 2 hours 30 mins and 104 pilots made it in all.

Just a reminder that the buses leave HQ for the dinner, this evening, at 19:45

More tomorrow....

2019-09-11 17:36

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2019-09-11 11:22

2019-09-11 08:54

Ready for another scenic drive through the Brazilian jungle to launch. (Photo by Ruth Jessop)


More news at 11:00...

2019-09-10 20:47

With another day of blue skies and sunshine, a 104.5 km task was set taking the pilots on a tour around the plains, returning to goal near Andradas.

Today had everything, great conditions, lift, convergence, sink, some super strong thermals, but at the same time, it was not too turbulent or bumpy. Flying with 50 vultures at the last turn point was the high point for many.

Unfortunately, overall race leader, Chigwon Won, set off too early on his final glide so had to stop and climb. His late arrival in goal changed the overall leaders, giving three pilots in first place, making it still very much anyone's race. But for the youngest pilot in the race, Noah Locatelli, leading out on the way to goal for a whole minute was, for any 17-year-old wanna be World Champion, a dream come true.

The goal field was a very busy place for four minutes as the top fifty all arrived within minutes of each other. At the end of a lovely cross-country flight, with stunning scenery, 93 pilots made goal.

Average speed of the fastest pilot around the course was 32km/h.


Photo by Matt Henzi

2019-09-10 20:35

Its been an interesting day (not least because of some complex network problems in HQ) but the pilots had a good day at least. In the end 93 pilots made goal.

Everyone is now back at HQ and the scores are now available online.

We start again tomorrow morning - see you then...

2019-09-10 10:56

2019-09-10 09:06

Yet another beautiful day in Andradas. The luxuriously appointed launch at Pico do Gaviao awaits us... (Photo by Ruth Jessop)


More news at 11:00...

2019-09-09 20:39

With a cloudless blue sky and a north east wind, a challenging 82km task was set. Once again, the route took the pilots out into the flat lands, then south, down to Moji-Mirim.

The cross wind leg to the first turn point had very few thermals. After the second turn point the route gave several options. Everyone came together at the last turn point ready for a bumpy down wind leg to end of speed with pilots clocking up speeds of 90 km/h. For once nobody landed short after crossing ESS and a grand total of 114 pilots made goal.

In the words of 18 year old Caio Buzzarello, 'Today was even more perfect than yesterday. 4 to 5m/s thermals, flying high to goal, what more could one want.'

The average speed of the fastest pilot today was: 39 km/h.


Photo by Matt Henzi

2019-09-09 19:54

Almost the whole field in goal today (114 out of 119 pilots in all).

Its been quite an epic day. Everyone is now back at the headquarters hotel and the results are online and available from the links above.

More tomorrow ....

2019-09-09 12:29

2019-09-09 12:12

2019-09-09 12:04

2019-09-09 09:29

Another perfect day in paragliding paradise. We are heading up to launch under a beautiful blue sky. (Photo by Ruth Jessop)


More news at 11:00...

2019-09-08 20:05

To kick off the Pico Do Gaviao 2019 Paragliding World Cup, a 70km task, zigzagging south west across the rolling hills, was set.

As soon as everyone got into the air, the first day nerves were blown away by the great thermals which, if anything, were a bit stronger than expected. The cycles were short and the ceiling was high, which made reading the clouds really important. There was very little wind until the last part of the race. In summary, perfect paragliding conditions.

From the beginning, there were different route options which divided the gaggles up. The end part of the race was nail biting as the lead gaggle got low and stuck and were overhauled by those behind.

107 pilots made goal within 1 hour and 7 minutes of each other. The average speed of the fastest pilot round the course was: 33 km/h.

2019-09-08 20:03

Its been a great first day with lots (107) making the goal. Apologies to everyone who was trying to follow our normal mapping systems today (they are temporarily off line but we hope to get them fixed in the morning).

The results are now available onine from the links above - see you tomorrow...

2019-09-08 14:27

2019-09-08 12:00

2019-09-08 09:17

Welcome to the first task of the Pico de Gaviao Paragliding World Cup. The sky is blue and we are going up to launch.

There should be more information about a task at about 11:00.

2019-09-07 17:48

Registration day for event 4 of the 2019 Paragliding World Cup is today. However, due to some technical problems this morning, we will be delaying the start of registration to 17:00 (and not as advertised in the local app).

Please try to be there for 1700 prompt

2019-09-03 17:56

The Pico do Gavião Paragliding World Cup will take place in Brazil from the 7th to the 14th of September.



The enormously successful 2017 Pico do Gavião World Cup confirmed Brazil as the land of seven-day competitions. In the words of Richard Gallon, 'Pico do Gavião is such an amazing launch, take-offs in every direction. So many task options. Every day we do a completely different task with a great variety of flat land and relief flying. You have to fly by feeling as there are no clouds to help you. The Brazilians are really teaching us how to fly'!

Two years ago, Brazilian pilots took the top five trophies and nine out of the top fifteen places. But the Europeans dominated the recent Baixo Guandu Super Final. Who will rule the skies and fly away with the best thermals in Brazil this time?

Equal numbers of Brazilian and French pilots are taking part, proof of the increase in world class Brazilian pilots. Seven overall World Cup winners and three ladies' winners will be taking part, all keen to notch up another victory. At least half of those in the thermals above Pico do Gavião will be there chasing one of the few precious places left for the Super Final. Pilots from thirty different countries will be competing, showing the popularity of Brazil for Paragliding World Cups, combining great skies, big friendly smiles and generous thermals!

In addition to the PWCA app and the pwca.org website (which now includes photos of the pilots) with the live Commentary, tracking and scores, the local organisers have also made an excellent app. Search for: PWC Andradas.