PARAGLIDERS SHREDDING THERMALS OVER LA SALINA

The first Fiesta Del Cielo was a big success at La Salina Flying Ridge. Over 20 pilots converged over the 5 day event in La Salina from all over southwest USA and Mexico. Although Thursday the 5th was a blown out due to a Santa Ana, Friday, Sat, Sun and Monday proved to be classic conditions for Baja's most diverse flying venue. 

Some incredible accomplishments were made and acknowledged at Sunday night's awards "banquet" at La Palapa De Jose.

                                    
La Salina Participants: Top left: Gee, Kent, Josie (para-jumpers from LA); Eric Hack (PG Team Wing Envy, SLO); Paul Anderson (PG, PPG, Tuscon, AZ), Greg Launt, "Sicko Wayne" (HG and PG both E-Team, Lake Elsinore CA); Patrick Eaves (PG Team Wing Envy); Front: Joe T (PG Cardiff CA);  Ron, Bruce, (PG and HG both TEAM VEGAS)Bajabrent (PG Team La Salina), John Pitt (PG E-team); Front: Little Flipper, aka Diane Gerard (PG Team La Salina). 
Missing from photo: Phil Russman (PPG and PG, San Diego)  Dan Schooler, Mike Wellbourn(both PPGs San Diego) Michael Quinn (PG ETeam), Doug, John T(HGs VEGAS-TEAM), Gabrielle (Baja trike), and others. 

This is just a brief intro as more will follow:

HIGHEST FLIGHT:  PPG 9.000 feet by Dan Schooner from San Diego--- he only came down cause his hands were freezin. In a Swing Astral 4 paraglider 6,000 feet by John Pitt from Lake Elsinore.  Geeze Pitt weren't you cold too???

CROSS COUNTRY: 30+ miles: John Pitt from Lake Elsinore
 in a Swing Astral 4.  He went back beyond Guadalupe vinyards up toward Tecate.  And of course there' s always a story with the retrieval: there's always a farmer.....AND HIS DAUGHTER! He flew 2.5 hours and climbed to 6K. And "they" said there's no X-C  at La Salina!  HA!!!!

HIT THE SPOT:  At the LZ on a photo of a topless mermaid??? YEP "Sicko Wayne"  from the Lake Elsinore E-team nails her in a Firebird Ignition paraglider!  At the Beach in front of Bajabrent on the RED CARPET: Eric Hack in a Gin Gangster Paraglider,  Hang Glider is  "Sicko Wayne" from E Team AGAIN.... This guy goes both ways and can hit the spot to prove it!!!

ACRO PERFORMANCE:  Crowd pleaser Pat Eaves of San Luis Obispo Team Wing Engy whipped his Gin Zoom into numerous SATS, Spirals, wingovers, and other manuevers in front of multinational fans gathered under the canopies at the LZ. Honorable mention goes to Eric Hack of Wing Envy for cunning precision in similar performances with his Gin Gangster.

TANDEM ACRO PERFORMANCE:  By Eric Hack of Wing Envy from San Luis Obispo, with co-pilot Kent Kralj. After launching Eric proceeded to climb a couple hundred and throw a Paratech Bi-4 into a SAT and then Kent launched from the co-pilot position and inflated his ram airfoild parachute and BOTH pilots finished into spiral dives and landed safely in the LZ!  Way to go Team Wing Envy.... could you please do THAT AGAIN???
 
                                                            
                                                            BAJABRENT launches from south launch

FULL MOON FLIGHT GAWDS: Encouraged by Baja Full Moon Flight veteran Bajabrent, Pat Eaves of Wing Envy, launched into the bliss followed by, Eric Hack, Mike Quinn (E-team), and Bajabrent.  They launched an hour after sunset to fly the BRILLIANT OCTOBER FULL MOON to the bailout LZ just east of the hiway, next to Bajabrents.  Launching conditions were very cross north 5-8 MPH. But once off launch, the full moon lit a path that was impossible to love and follow.  Special thanks to Greg, Ron, Flipper and the rest for assisting on making this a full moon success!

VIDEOGRAPHY AWARD:  The ballots are not all in on this yet, but the lead contender is presently PHIL RUSSMAN OF Lightouch films of San Diego.  Phil masters his Blackhawk PPG and Spice Paraglider to capture incredible footage of Mike Quinn and Bajabrent during the sunset glass off flight on Sunday night.  This footage is a first for La Salina but captures the beauty of the flying ridge and soaring its splendor in perfectly gentle conditions.  Phil has promised to convert the Hi-def production into user friendly web based imagery in the near future.  Another contender is Chris Richards of Six Palms who filmed and is in production. Chris has completed one segment of the para-jumpers, wherein Kent launches from a tandem paraglider!  http://stage6.divx.com/members/117788/videos/1019537

HIKE TO LAUNCH:  The record has been BROKEN!  Altough no one officially timed it, we take the record breakers word that after 9 years the hike from the LZ to north launch has been broken.  John Pitt of E-team hiked/ran the path in 12:50 which shattered Bajabrent's record of 13:32.  I knew the record was doomed for months, because Pitt has been training like an ANIMAL!!!! And in keeping with the main rule, Pitt flew with the contents of his pack, WHICH IS MUCH LIGHTER THAN THE PACKS OF 9 YEARS AGO! 
                                    
                                    FLIPPER takes a break after a rowdy Sunday AM flight
                                    NICE SHIRT!!!!

SPECIAL THANKS: This event owes tremendous thanks to Diane Gerard (aka "little Flipper" or "Flipper") for ALL of the work that she put into this incredible undertaking.  She single handidly designed the artwork for posters, flyers and apparel. She also coordinated the production of the same.  Then she came to the event and took over many of the administrative tasks from hospitality to breakfast prep/cleanup. She greeted spectators at the LZ and educated them about the various aircraft. She kited a wing at the LZ as she is a P-1 moving up to P-2. She produced the signage. She shared her champaign. She even broke out her new stripper pole and demonstrated various dancing maneuvers so that the pilots understood the effort they appreciated the night before at the various clubs---where they spent all their dollars!  So from artist to hostess, to dancer to maid....her assistance turned the event into a REAL EVENT!  thanks lil flipper for all your help! Flipper also produced a 200 + picture album of the event.. go to http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLandingSignin.jsp?Uc=ndm1wbe.5j6eg72m&Uy=rhvle2&Upost_signin=Slideshow.jsp%3Fmode%3Dfromshare&Ux=1&UV=430281312536_291393262206

Furthermore, a big thanks goes to John Pitt.  He really brought together the E-team and the Vegas group of PGs and hang gliders and also was a daily inspiration to everyone to get out there and FLY!  Pitt has really set a new vision for this venue in going for X-C.  There are snow capped mountains and wide thermally valleys right next to us and its time to go fly to them.

Next I wanna thank Pat and Eric from SLO and Team Wingenvy.  You guys came a long way, to participate and show your skill and knowlege.  You guys make events spectacular!  Without you, it'd just be a bunch of guys soaring around which is cool BUT when there's some spectators, you make them go WOW!  Besides that you guys hit the beach at will and know how to out thermal anyone! 

Additional thanks goes to the Vegas High Roller Hang gliding and PG team; Eteam; Team Wingenvy; PPG motorheads; Team Ravens and Helen the Hawk, for making the event a high flyin success.

Also thanks goes to the other La Salina locals who pitched in like Owen, Roberto, Iggy,  and Francisco, my Baja brothers who worked for WEEKS to get the flight park beautified.  IT WAS A HUGE UNDERTAKING. But in the end it was something worth being proud of! I havent seen it look so good in 10 years.  God bless everyone for your physical and financial contributions for this venue....baja's best!

BTW we still have T-SHIRTS, SWEATSHIRTS etc. dated for the event.  Maybe only 6-8 pieces left for this first of many annual events to come... Contact me for more details.  I also have generic non-dated T-shirts, Jerseys, Sweatshirts and tank tops!  Help support the effort to keep the ridge and LZ's beautiful. 

stay tuned for more info. BAJABRENT 

 

What did you think of this article?

Liked
Disliked
No Opinion