VIDEO of European hang gliding championship 2008, Greifenburg

European championhip 2008, Greifenburg from Matjaz Klemencic on Vimeo.

Fall colors

Croatian open 2008 in video

As we are aproching teh autunm with litespeed I have the time to sit down by computer and make some memories of this summer in video. That is the competition from Croatia in July. I wrote about it in past articles on my blog. Realy relaxed comeptition and next year we are going down again.

Enjoy the vid

Chikens falling out of the nest

We have a studing weekend here. Three new pilots are browsing the training hill. In last 5 days we gattered the knowledge so now they can fall from the nest and fly. Small jumps will follow with tandem flight with us and then slow progression of learning the skills wich all of us will be learnign for the life time.

Here are some pictures from the training hills.

My home valley from above

Here are some pictures from Tolmin valley.

Starting place Kobala

Small villiage Most na Soči with a lake beside

View up the valley to Kobarid

Higher mountains

Kobala open 2008 THE VIDEO

All the pictures from Slovenian open 2008

Take a look at link

HERE

3th last task (Kobala open 2008)

So we have come to an end of Kobala open competition. Last day we had a task of 86 km. The day looked great in the morning but the clouds came so we started in a zero lift and found the first lift 3 km away from the start. Primož Gričar won the day before Elio Cataldi and Stanislav Galovec. Elio won the competition overall and
Primož became a Slovenian national winner.
Here are some fotos from the price giving ceremony.

Official results are here

2. Task (Kobala open 2008)

Yesterday we had a 102 km task here. The task was quite dificult as only 3 pilots made it to the goal. Strong east wind was washing us on the start with the turbulence but it calmed down a bit trough the day. Elio Cataldi won the day before Peter Kejzar and Stanislav Galovec. Today the weather doesn`t look so god so we hope for tomorow.

Here are the pictures from yesterday

A view to the valley

Elio the winner and now overall leader

Grico posing

Start on Kobala

A visitor in the morning

Landing field

Chilling in the morning (Kobala open 2008)

Chilling in front of competition office next to the landing field.

Today we are going to the start

3th day (Kobala open)

Task cancelled for today as we were suprised by a strong east wind weach didn`t calm down till the evening. Tomorow looks great for flying so we will arange something a bit longer for the competitiors.

1. task (Kobala open 2008)

So we had our first task yesterday with 70 km lenght. The weather looked not so promesing after first starts only Cataldi and Primoz and Franc did to the top of the mountain next to Kobala. We ran around the start to the next ridge and found a nice thermal. After that the task was much easier but I made a mistake on the ridge and landed after 33 km. Too bad.
First in goal was Primoz before Matjaz Cater and 3th was Elio Cataldi. See the results here

Second day (Kobala open)

We are leaving for the top today. The weather looks somwhere in the middle so we will see about making maybe a short task for today.

1st day task cancelled (Kobala open 2008)

The weather forecast was for overcasted area and possibility of thunderstorms so we decided to cancel todays task. Some flew from Kobala but the weather doesn`t provide a taskable day.
We are looking forward for tomorow.

Pictures coming soon.

KOBALA OPEN is starting in 3 hours

Today at 8th pm we have an opening ceremony. Today many pilots already flew from Kobala. Many good pilots are coming with Ellio Cataldi (Europian champion) our best Primoz Gricar and so on.
Tomorw in the morning we start with a task days. Hope for a good weather.
Stay tuned for more infos about the comp.

A lovely tandem flight

Pictures from Croatian open

Horror day

Yesterday we had the last day of the Croatian open. I went to the start and pushed myself to the air with out promesing thermal. Straight bombed out. Primoz and Regina got the interval and raised above the start. After my landing only one started in one hour and he also joined us bellow the start. I called Nena and she raced to retrive me back to the start. Just when we arrived 3 pilots started and thermaled up. Just as I set up my glider the wind came from the back. Such a misfortune. I waited till the last starting time and again been bombed out. F... Primoz won the day again with being only one in goal. I ended up 5th and Alan 4th as he flew yesterday realy good. In the evening we had a nice party and price giving ceremony here on the start. Now we need to pack slowly and get back to real life again. Photos are coming when I get back home.

Relaxing before the comp

Finally Raspadalica

Thankfuly today we don't need to drive far away to Ucka starting place. Today we will start from camping site. Easly eat our brakefast put the gliders together and jump from the edge of Raspadalica. Yesterday Primoz won the day again, even all leading points didn't help to overcome this speedy pilot. So today is the last day of Croatian open, hope for a good flight. Regards from a quite camping site.

Pos: First in goal :)

71 km task, we flew like on a nascar triangular course for three times. Still, the race was realy interesting with changing conditions, ridge flying and a bit of flats. I was first in goal with Jarc 10 minutes behind me. Primoz came in 17 min behind me but took 3th start gate weach was 15 min apparth. We will see wath the leading points will do, but still a trully nice and satisfaing flight today. I changed some things on the glider and always genorous Primoz Gricar helped me to oiled VG sistem so the glider worked perfectly. Tomorow is the last day of the competition, fingers crosed for a good result.

Ucka again, Croatian open

On the briefing they decided to go to Ucka starting place again. Aldo there was a nice wind on Raspadalica we need to drive now for an hour to Ucka. It still is a nice place to fly, you thermal over the ridge and you have a realy nice view over the Adriatic sea and irelands weach are spread all around. Hope for a fast goal today.

First task, Croatian open

Today we flew 60 km task from Ucka to Lupoglav then back on one ridge crossing,out to the flat and land bellow the start. Nice day aldo a bit covered on some places with realy dark clouds. I made a mistake and landed somwhere in betwen. 2 pilots in goal with Primoz in a huge lead. I tried to follow him but my rocket is yet to slow for him. Looking forward for tomorow to have again a nice flight here in Croatia. Lijepo se imajte i bog.

Going to Ucka starting place

The desicion was taken to go to Ucka starting place. The weather forecast shows for west wind. Now we are driving from Roc to Ucka and waiting for, finaly flying.

1st day, too unstable (croatian open)

The task was canceled already in the morning. We went to the sea side. For the first time this year I tasted the smell of the sea. For tomorow the weather looks like for the task, aldo it is raining here now. Seams like we will have tree flying days afterwards. Raspadalica the start place with a small camp offered a place for me Nena and Alan and yesterday we got a company from Primoz and Regina. Hope that tomorow we wake up on a crouded start.

Testing new nokia e51 for bloging

HELL OVER PARADISE

Here in my home town is at the moment like in hell. Metal camp festival brought 10000 metal heads to Tolmin. I took a chance yesterday and went to fly to take some pictures over this amazing event. All the bars all full and there is a long stripe of tents and people beside river Soča.



And now off to Croatia to Buzet to compete the Croatian open competition.

Discusion about safe sprog settings at Europians

Thomas Pelicci is describing a bit about sprog settings. There was a huge conversation of what to do in the future to prevent tumbles, how to measure the sprog pitch and how to get it in betwen different manufacturers.

Hope it will come helpfull for you readers and there is still more to come about it.

Stay tuned :)

End of the Europians

Today they cancelled the task after 30 pilots got in to the air. The clouds where showing big growing so they cancelled it.

The winner is Elio Cataldi (ITA). Congrats to him.

1. Elio Cataldi (ITA)
2. Thomas Weissenberger (AUT)
3. Michael Friescenbihler (AUT)

19. Primož Gričar (SLO)
24. Franc Peternel (SLO)
35. Peter Kejžar (SLO)
68. Matjaž Čater (SLO)
71. Matjaž Klemnčič (SLO)

Team rankings

1. Austria
2. Italia
3. Germany

7. Slovenia

150 km task (Europian championship)

Today we finally get the weather that is suitable for the Greifenburg area. Organistors set the task to 150 km over Lienz to Oblaser Alm and then back to Hermagor, a turning point at the end of the Greifenburg valley and then to the goal.
I flew quite good untill I made a wrong desicion wich grounded me before Hermagor. Fillipo Opici won the day aldo he was not the fastest in goal. Ploner was first but got penatly for the height over start cilinder. Flying was quite ruf at some points in the valley but in the end the day was great for flying. Lot of spectacular views over Moltal iceberg many crossings over the valleys. Looks like tomorow will be something the same. Last day of my first Europian championship wich won`t end up with the wishes that I had before the comp but still a good learning about comp flying and setting the glider to get the performance and handling you need for a good flying.
Spain puted their invoice for the next Europian championship in 2010. It wil be held in Ager a bit less moistoring area and hopefully better conditions the they were here in Greifenbur, but that is our sport we depend on the weather.

I woke up with a big headacke, hope that I get better by tomorow and be more in the mood for a good flying.

My flight today

Yet another waiting day (Euriopian championship)

Yet again, we did not had the task. The cloud base was all the time too low, but in the end it raised up but the task was already cancelled. Yesterday we had a talk about the sprog settings with Gerolf and Denis Pagen. It was a good constructive talk and in betwen you got the felling that in betwen the race there is also tuning race, wich there is.
Tomorow the weather looks like for task day so I hope I get my result better.
Here are some photos from today.

Start in the cloud base

Natalia Petrova in a sleep