2019-11-17 11:35
2019-11-16 19:50
Task 6 start gaggle. Photo by Ulric Jessop.
With blue skies and very stable conditions a 51 km task was set zig zagging north and south up and down the Loma Bola ridge.
Initially it was a great race which brought paragliding to the people. The crowds watching on launch had a fantastic introduction to our sport as the pilots crossed launch several times, low enough for the crowds to cheer on their favourite pilots.
Unfortunately, the spread-out from a big storm cell in the mountains shut down everything just as the pilots were approaching End of Speed making goal impossible.
We’ve had a fantastic week here with great contrasts in terrain and tasks, from jungle to polo fields, in the Garden of Argentina, not to mention stunning food and wine. A big thank you to the General Organiser Matias Fortini and Meet Director Sergio Bujazha along with our excellent Task Committee here at Loma Bola: Marco Littame, Adrian Martin Acosta and Alvaro Blas Lucero, not forgetting the long suffering staff at the Howard Johnson hotel which has hosted this event.
A big thank you to the Argentinian Gauchos and their horses who have helped with some fairly remote retrieves making this such a great adventure.
Thank you Loma Bola, see you again soon!
In today’s task those who won the day were the pilots with a combination of good distance points and lead out points. As nobody got to goal, there were no time points.
Top 3 distance points winners in task 6 – those who flew the furthest round the course.
1st Pal TAKATS, 2nd Philipp HAAG, 3rd Giuliano MINUTELLA
Top 3 leading point baggers in task 6 – those who got the most lead out points
1st Pal TAKATS, 2nd Alberto VITALE, 3rd Philipp HAAG
Top 3 overall in task 6
1st Pal TAKATS, 2nd Philipp HAAG, 3rd Balazs RACZ
Top 3 ladies in task 6
1st Marcella UCHOA, 2nd Adel HONTI, 3rd Shauin KAO
Top 3 teams in task 6
1st Air'G Products, 2nd Ozone, 3rd Parastick
Overall winners of the Loma Bola, Tucuman Paragliding World Cup
1st Jurij VIDIC, 2nd Xavier LAPORTE, 3rd Pal TAKATS
Top 3 ladies
1st Adel HONTI, 2nd Marcella UCHOA, 3rd Shauin KAO
Top 3 teams
1st Gin Gliders, 2nd= Ozone, Air'G Products
2019-11-16 08:17
Early morning briefing on Loma Bola. The weather looks good; hopefully we can finish with a good task. (Photo by Ruth Jessop)
More news around 11:00...
2019-11-15 20:03
First charge from the start. How quickly it crumbled... Photo by Ulric Jessop.
Today started off with blue skies and promises of a great task. With a forecast of north easterly winds a 79 km corridor task was set heading south.
The task gave a choice of flats or jungle. The jungle route worked best initially but then the pilots had to make a break out onto the flats to get the second turn point. This was is the point where everyone soon discovered it was mission impossible, thanks to the unexpected strong southerly wind.
Some brave pilots pushed on and hung in there for as long as possible, finally landing south of Lules after 35 km.
However, to prove that at the end of the day we’re all just here to have fun, there is currently an Italian takeover of the swimming pool, so once again the day finishes with big smiles, lots of laughter and the motto - tomorrow’s another day.
With no pilots in goal there were no time-points so the winners were the pilots with a combination of distance and lead out points.
Top 3 leading point baggers – those who got the most lead out points.
1st Ignacio ORTIZ, 2nd Marc WENSAUER, 3rd Julian ROBINSON
Top 3 distance points winners – those who flew the furthest round the course.
1st Julian ROBINSON, 2nd Marc WENSAUER, 3rd Xavier LAPORTE
Top 3 overall
1st Julian ROBINSON, 2nd Marc WENSAUER, 3rd Xavier LAPORTE
Top 3 ladies
1st Adel HONTI, 2nd Patricia LETONA, 3rd Rasa GRIGORAITIENE
Top 3 teams
1st Gin Gliders, 2nd Parastick, 3rd Air'G Products
2019-11-15 08:53
The sun is shining and the sky is blue. Another excellent day beckons... (Photo by Ulric Jessop)
More news around 11:00...
2019-11-14 21:02
Retrieve courtesy of the Argentinian Guacho Pony Express. (Photo by Ruth Jessop)
With blue skies and a few cumulus clouds forming to the north, an 82 km task was set taking the pilots on a long leg north. The race had two parts, weak climbs (2m/s) over the lush green jungle, then everything moved up a gear as they ventured out into the arid plains.
The conditions turned out to be way more difficult than anticipated. There was a strong inversion at 1500m which was evident from the start. Out in the flats there were big climbs. But the thermals were broken. There were good lines if you could find them but also a lot of sink. It was a challenging task, over very adventurous terrain. Retrieve for some was by Argentinian gaucho.
In the words of Adrian Martin ACOSTA, 'Today was an unbelievable day for Tucuman with pilots at 3000m, the east wind helped everyone, 5m/s thermals out in the plains, clean clear air gave fantastic views of Lake Cadillal, it was great to use so many different terrains, jungle and arid all in one task.'
The prize for superhero of the day goes to Cody Mittanck. His day started off really badly when he landed in a tree and crashed down through the jungle as was launching. In true XAlps style he brushed himself down, and calmly relaunched whilst everyone else was taking the start. With creepers still attached to his glider and spiders between his teeth, he crossed ESS in 11th position!
The average speed of the fastest pilot round the course was 29.4 km/h.
The first 72 pilots made goal, and thus all flew the same distance (82km), so those who won the day were the pilots with a combination of good speed/time points and lead out points.
Top 3 speed/time points winners – the fastest pilots round the course.
1st Zion SUSANNO, 2nd Xavier LAPORTE, 3rd Tanguy RENAUD-GOUD
Top 3 leading point baggers – those who got the most lead out points
1st Marco LITTAME, 2nd Jurij VIDIC, 3rd Xavier LAPORTE
Top 3 overall
1st Xavier LAPORTE, 2nd Zion SUSANNO, 3rd Tanguy RENAUD-GOUD
Top 3 ladies
1st Adel HONTI, 2nd Patricia LETONA, 3rd Klaudia BULGAKOW
Top 3 teams
1st Ozone, 2nd Flymaster, 3rd Flow Gliders
2019-11-14 08:51
The barbecue was amazing, and the sky is blue! Hopefully we will have a good task today. (Photo Ulric Jessop)
More news around 11:00...
2019-11-13 09:09
It's a bit of a damp day on the empanada trail and a decision on the day will be made shortly. (Photo Ruth Jessop)
More news around 9:30...
2019-11-12 19:07
En route to the final turnpoint. (Photo by Ulric Jessop)
With cloud base at launch height this morning, the day did not look promising. A 56 km task zigzagging up and down the Loma Bola ridge with big cylinders to give plenty of route choices, was set.
It was the survival of the fittest. Throughout the task there was steady attrition with pilots bailing out to land in the flats.
Balazs VERTES managed to get high on the Loma Bola ridge as he went to the last turn point. He then managed to use his height to glide out into the flats and almost made ESS. A group of nine then got up from low on the ridge and similarly tried their luck crossing the flats to get ESS, but similarly failed.
First lady in today's task, Klaudia Bulgakow, said her strategy in these difficult weak conditions was 'just survive'. I think a lot of pilots shared her strategy, so for many it was definitely 'mission accomplished.'
In this day of endurance and patience, sadly nobody made ESS, but well done to the many pilots who very nearly made it round.
Those who won the day were the pilots with a combination of good distance points and lead out points. As nobody got to goal today, there were no time points.
Top 3 distance points winners – those who flew the furthest round the course.
1st Andrei CHESNOKOV, 2nd Martin LONG, 3rd Jurij VIDIC
Top 3 leading point baggers – those who got the most lead out points
1st Pal TAKATS, 2nd Jurij VIDIC, 3rd Ari SAHLSTRÖM
Top 3 overall
1st Andrei CHESNOKOV, 2nd= Jurij VIDIC, 2nd= Martin LONG
Top 3 ladies
1st Klaudia BULGAKOW, 2nd Marcella UCHOA, 3rd Adel HONTI
Top 3 teams
1st Gin Gliders, 2nd Air'G Products, 3rd UP Paragliders
2019-11-12 09:34
Briefing in the hope that we'll all fly further than yesterday (Photo by Ruth Jessop)
More news around 11:00...
2019-11-11 23:39
Bombing out in a strawberry field - however, still not as bad as a day in the office (Photo by Ruth Jessop)
With cloud base at the same height as Loma Bola this morning an optimistic 59km task was set. Small patches of sunshine shone down as the pilots took off giving false hope that the route, which zigzagged south, would be possible.
The top tactic today seemed be to go on a death glide from the start cylinder.
Unfortunately, virtually everyone landed around the 14km point, devaluing the day. However, it was a great opportunity to visit this beautiful area and enjoy a wonderful welcome from the locals, many of whom force-fed the pilots strawberries whilst they waited for the retrieve buses.
Here's how newbie to the World Cup, and last in the air today, Reavis Sutphin-Gray, described the end game: I was on a lifty ridge and figured as long as I could stay in the air and it wasn't starting to rain, I would wait and hope for more sun. The sun never came, but it was a beautiful place to soar. There were several gaggles of different kinds of birds and the light puffs of thermic lift carried the sweet fragrance of trees with feathery leaves covered with orange, yellow, and purple blossoms.
And in the words of the erudite commentary team: even bombing out in a strawberry field is better than a day spent in the office.
Top 3 overall
1st= Marko NOVAK, 1st= Biagio Alberto VITALE, 3rd=Tanguy RENAUD-GOUD, 3rd= Tim ROCHAS
Top 3 ladies
1st Shauin KAO, 2nd Rasa GRIGORAITIENE, 3rd Adel HONTI
Top 3 teams
1st Gin Gliders, 2nd= Niviuk, 2nd= UP Paragliders
2019-11-11 09:23
There is a bit of cloud about, although the sun is trying to break through. Pilots are heading up to launch. (Photo Ruth Jessop)
More news around 11:00...
2019-11-10 18:41
Sky God Zoran Labovic receiving an Argentinian welcome. Photo by Ruth Jessop.
After a night of rain and a poor forecast nobody expected today to be flyable.
A 57km task taking the pilots south then back north with just one turn point was set.
It was not easy. It was a day when many went from high to low without finding anything. It was a day to stay with even the weakest climb until you got to cloud base. Patience was imperative.
Two route choices towards the end of hills or flats split the leaders up along with a strong cross wind on the way to ESS gave a challenging but satisfying day.
Denis Chouraqui won the 'Silver Cloud for Patience,' award today for spending twenty minutes circling between sixty and eighty metres over the most delicious smelling BBQ's above the empanada capital of Argentina, a town called Famailla, just before the turn point.
Eighty pilots made goal, which in the words of today's winner, Xavier Laporte, 'for a day which was supposed to be cancelled due to stormy weather, turned out to be pretty good.'
The average speed of the fastest pilot round the course was 24km/h. The first eighty pilots made goal, and thus all flew the same distance (57km), so today's scores for the leaders are a combination of the speed/time points and lead out points.
Top 3 speed/time points winners – the fastest pilots round the course.
1st: Xavier LAPORTE, 2nd: Hans_Kristjan GUDMUNDSSON, 3rd: Andy TALLIA
Top 3 leading point baggers – those who got the most lead out points
1st: Ari SAHLSTRÖM, 2nd = Jurij VIDIC, 2nd = Jan Richard HANSEN
Top 3 overall
1st: Xavier LAPORTE, 2nd: Jurij VIDIC, 3rd: Marko NOVAK
Top 3 ladies
1st: Adel HONTI, 2nd: Marcella UCHOA, 3rd: Maite MORENO BENITO
Top 3 teams
1st: Air Vuisa, 2nd: Niviuk, 3rd: Gin Gliders
2019-11-10 09:33
Lovely Loma Bola is bathed in sunshine this morning, the pilots are getting into the buses...(Photo by Ruth Jessop)
More news around 11:00...
2019-11-04 12:07
The Loma Bola Paragliding World Cup will take place in Tucumán, Argentina from the 9th to the 16th of November.
The last World Cup at lovely Loma Bola took place in 2007, so our return is long overdue and eagerly anticipated.
The takeoff is located in a mountain range facing east and has a height difference of 800 m above the plain. This provides a perfect paragliding playground including mountain and flatland flying. The pilots will be able to enjoy views of the Yungas jungle, combined with sugar cane, lemon, strawberry and blueberry plantations. The people who live in the local villages are looking forward to seeing the sky painted with so many colourful gliders and we really hope they will enjoy watching our party in the sky.
Pilots will be coming from across the globe to compete, from as far afield as Russia, Iceland, Japan and New Zealand. This will also be the first time that a Costa Rican pilot has taken part in the Paragliding World Cup, making it a truly global event.
Some very colourful pilots will be competing, from the manufacturer of wooden sunglasses, to those who fly the 6000+ m volcanos in the nearby Andes, and of course, the legendary Andy Hediger. XAlps stars, Gavin McClurg and Cody Mittanck, will also be taking to the skies.
To add to the suspense, this will be the last chance for the top fifteen overall, top three ladies and task winners to qualify for the 2019 Super Final, making this World Cup one to definitely keep a very close eye on.
Check out the pilot photos here.
And our new team leaderboard is here.
And follow the event via the Live Commentary and Live Tracking, both available on the PWCA Live App and here on the website.
