The Red Bull X-Alps usually stops most of the paragliding world dead in its tracks due to everyone involved being glued to their computer screens for the duration of the event, and this year looks to become no less exciting!
All around the world, anyone remotely interested in paragliding will be glued to their computer screen, watching the event unfold live through the GPS tracking devices carried by all the athletes, living and suffering through the adventure with their favourite pilot(s).
At UP we're no different, only we feel we have even more at stake! Our R&D team has been frantically finishing our 2013 X-Alps glider, which had an additional twist to it this year as it needed to be LFT/EN certified to be allowed in the race. As it turned out the new UP Trango X-Light 2 was only finally certified in the remaining sizes in the last few days, but we have good news about it which will interest people outside of the X-Alps world as well - there is much more about this new wing below!
The UP X-Alps pilots came around the UP office to collect their new wings in the last few days, with Toma and his team showing up during the weekend and Ferdy coming around on Monday and Tuesday. We had a nice barbecue with Ferdy and his supporter Anton Brous at the UP HQ in Garmisch on Monday and then on Tuesday Ferdy did some reconnaissance around the Zugspitze region, in preparation for the race, on his new wing: http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/772822
As you can see from the flight log this wasn't a super LONG flight, but anyone who knows the region can confirm that it is far from a trivial thing after all - it looks like Ferdy and the wing are already good mates!
We are biting our nails in anticipation and looking forward to the next days of computerised terror as the guys battle it out over the length of the Alps - we suggest you follow the action on http://www.redbullxalps.com - that's what we'll be doing!
