11/10/2015

Ulrich Prinz, one of Germany’s Team pilots, currently ranked 4th in the World, has won the Monte Grappa Trophy at the start of Europe’s competition season. Ulrich commented on his facebook page that any of the pilots in the top 12 positions could have walked away with the first prize podium, and only a few points ahead, Jurij vidic, SLO (2nd) and Charles Cazaux, FRA (3rd) were close on his heals during the three great task days of the competition.

Having won the trophy on two previous occasions in 2008 and 2009, Ulrich’s clear enthusiasm and enjoyment of this great competition, the interesting tasks and delicious food, will no doubt see him returning to defend his title next year.

We were able to ask Ulrich a few questions after the competition.

Congratulations on your win. How does it feel being on that Number 1 podium spot again this year?

I am very happy to have won this nice competition again! I usually fly conservatively in comps to secure good overall WPRS points. Aiming for the podium in a single comp often means risking landing before the goal line which sets you way back in the overall results and leaves you with no relevant WPRS points at all. That’s not a problem if you’re a pilot who flies 10 comps a year and can ‘discard’ some, but I only fly around 4-5 comps a year now, so ideally I need a reliable Top-10 result in every competition.
The Trofeo Montegrappa is a little different though: I like the great organisation, the interesting terrain and tasks there and of course the yummy food! So I am usually in a happy mood and motivated to “go for it” which helped me win it again, for the 3rd time now, after 2008 and 2009.

Had you managed to do much training between the Worlds and the the Monte Grappa Trophy?

Unfortunately not, as the weather conditions at home were not very good soI had only a few very short flights. “Real” training for competitions can only be done at competitions anyway, so all the pilots who were at the World’s in Colombia were well prepared for this event.

How were the flying conditions during the competition ?

There was a strong North wind at higher altitudes. This brought both Turbulences and cold air to the region, but the flying was still safe enough. The strong thermals resulted in “Fast and Furious Flying”, as Luc Armant dubbed it.

This event is well known for the gathering of some of the greatest pilots in paragliding. Did you feel that the level of piloting skill this year differed to previous years?

I believe the level is similar to the previous years. We will see the exact value in the ‘pq’ rating of the WPRS ranking next month.

This will give you some great points to kick start your European competition season. What does your calendar look like and where are you headed next?

I have reduced my event calendar to 4-5 competitions per year, so I will probably only go to 2 World Cup events and a National Cat 2 competition. The XC-season starts in the Northern Alps now, and I will do some Cross Country flying just for fun – with no comps in mind, either online or offline! 😉

Thank you, Ulrich.
Rock The Outdoor wishes you the best of luck with the rest of your competitions this season, and great conditions for some leisure flying too.

Juan-Sebastian OSPINA, UK pilot

Congratulations on your 15th position. How does it feel being in the Top 20 ?

Considering that the pilot quality is very high, it feels really good to be amongst the top pilots, but also knowing that there is room for improvement.

What wing were you flying and how did it perform in the conditions?

I flew an Enzo 2 (M) during this competition. The conditions were really challenging with strong thermals, strong winds and a lot of turbulence. I was very pleased with the way my glider performed against the wind and rough air. It is still a very competitive glider, if not the best for this kind of conditions. Still, it requires a lot of input and concentration to keep it together.

Had you managed to do much training between the Worlds and the the Monte Grappa Trophy?

The only serious flying I did after the World’s was the Colombian Open just after the event, in which we flew for 6 consecutive days. After that I have mostly been flying tandem.

The Monte Grappa Trophy has a reputation for rain. How were the flying conditions during the competition ?

The two first days we had great thermal quality but also some wind. The third and fourth day was cancelled because of over development in the afternoon but many of us still managed to freefly. The last day was very good and sunny for most of the task. Personally, I flew every day and was amazed at the thermal quality, even with no sun. I will try to come back again next year for the Trofeo for sure!

This event is well known for the gathering of some of the greatest pilots in paragliding and marks the start of the European flying season. What did you think of the overall pilot level?

It was pretty much like flying any European World Cup and has to the highest level non World Cup/CAT1 event I have ever been to ; thanks to their selection process which is purely based on the WPRS ranking.

This will give you some great points to kick start your European competition season. What does your calendar look like and where are you headed out to next?

My next comp will be the PWC in Spain, then the PWC India and hopefully the Superfinal in Mexico too.

Many thanks Juan-Sebastian. Rock The Outdoor wishes you a great season ahead, best of luck !