Red Bull 400, run to the mountain

In the last post I was writing about going to Planica for the event Red Bull 400 run. I am still here, I survived with no real training and it was a lot of fun.
The competition was made from two runs, where 5 groups of 50 people rushed to the steep slope of Planica ski flying jump and from each group 10 people where finalists.

I was in the last group. I don`t know why, but I felt some adrenalin rush before the gun for the start. I learned to stay calm before take off in hang gliding competitions, but here I could not help myself :)
First run was made only to the place where ski jumpers jump. I came up somewhere in the middle of the group and definitely not in the final ones.
I was dead on top. Really dead, last 40 meters my legs where not working properly anymore and my lungs where catching last breath. I thought that I won`t go for the second run to the top.
As I came down I was soon feeling ok, but still had doubts about running to the very top. But, as the speaker announced the second run is about to begging for "lucky losers I said to myself: "I came here to run to the top".

Lumia 920 shot 

Feeling more relaxed and knowing that goal is just top, not to be there fast I started a bit slower and went on till the top with out any problems. First people passed me, after the point where we stopped in the first run, I was passing others. You really need to know how to do it, and people who have done it before, had a chance to make it better than the rest of us who came there totally unprepared.
I came to the top so easily that I even did not need to sit down and catch a breathe, I just walked back down. I think next time when event will happen, I will go again and prepare myself just a little bit. It is just such a fun competition.
I left my GoPros at home, but as soon as I came to our GoPro Slovenia stand who where also sponsoring the event, I had GoPro on me in no time :) If you have 5 minutes, you can look at how the pace goes down in last meters and with chesty mount, you can even hear my drumming hard beat in the end.

And the pro version video of the event HERE

Comp season?

I guess most visited web sites among Europe pilots now are weather sites,

well that might be always :) Austria open was postponed, so 5th competition was gone. I hope next week it turns out better to fly this competition. New area for me there but am really looking forward for some competition flying.
I tried a new mount that Alexandra is using on a daily basis. Batten sticking out from the nose, I don`t know how she makes it, I just strapped a batten to the keel hoping for a good landing. In case of bad landing it would punch trough the sail so better be confident about your landings before doing this.
As Austria open was postponed I rushed to work to change the free days, luckily I was able to switch the days and yet got a Sunday free. On Sunday, there will be an interesting competition in Planica. Red Bull 400 is a competition where runners compete against each other on running up to the flying ski jumping hill. It used to be the biggest in the world before they build a new one in Vikersund 2 years ago.
I remember the days when we went to train there when I was a young boy, we where jumping on 90m hill but I was always looking at the summer times to start the real flying. But, in the end watching them flying with skis makes me want to start it all over again. I think wingsuiters have some kind of same sensation when they fly over the rocks, changing their position with just a small moves on the body.
So, many years ago I was flying down, now I will try to run up. I am not in some great shape for running but I will give it a try and I need to get to the top, even on all four :D
Here is a video of the competition from last year