Mike Pop and me got to the field ..in the rain. Cold and windy with a really dark and misty sky. Not exactly what you think of meeting when you go to bed in warm, gentle winds! I had a feeling that the air was going to be really good in spite of the mist and wind, and turns out I was right. I put up an easy max with a nice landing too. The ground was exceptionally turbulent and that got a bunch of guys in the landing zone. After the first round the sky broke, the temps came up but the wind stayed. A gorgeous day from that point forward. I had one flight that put me wayyyyy downwind, low over houses, but the World's Heaviest Carbon Supra Lite did it self proud. Everyone, and I mean everyone stopped and watched it come back from a start of about 50', weaving up and down with the rolling low thermals and sink cycles, to finally slide between a pair of low power wires, over the road, over the edge of the field with at least 300' to the LZ, with me standing at least 100' feet away from it too. I started back pedaling when I realized she wasn't done yet, and she joined me about 25' away from the spot, I turned to look at the spot, and bumped the aileron stick, which ended both our chances for extra glory on that flight. Zero landing points. Larry Squire has been in the zone since getting his Shadow XL from Soaring USA, he really kept the heat on us today. I don't think he missed a max landing for most of the 7 rounds. But he got himself low and behind, across that road, in some really bad sink and made a good decision to just put it down safe...but out of bounds. Even still he managed to take third place, which tells you how perfect he'd been flying. Bud Elders got his Pike Superior tangled up at the top of a good size tree, but I was able to climb to the top and toss it out, just a little wrinkle in the very tip, which didn't stop him from having some pretty great rounds himself after. Mike Popescu, flying his own extended Pelican design, was determined to fly well and he did. It was him, Larry and myself clanking around the top all day. In the end it turns out I was really seeing the air today, if not the LZ that well, but I capped the day with a perfect time and landing, putting me about 80 points ahead of the crowd. Everyone had some great flights and at least one really scary one I think. A lot of talent down here for sure. Wish you could have been there too! Gordy When asked where I was going after winning the contest, I replied,"I'm to going to Disney World!"...but I'll only be there till about noon, then off to Jamaica.
**************Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape. http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489
