Stewart Midwinter <<stewart>>
writes:

I have received a claim for a new open distance record in
paragliding yesterday, 334 km by Alex Raymont.

From a surface tow just after 11 am near the town of Camrose, southeast of
Edmonton Alberta, Alex flew 8 hours almost straight south towards the US border,
landing after 7 PM in the evening. His flight of 334.5 kilometers smashes the
old record of 227 km by more than 100 km. (That record was also set by Alex two
years ago during the same record encampment week).

Tracklog:
https://www.xcontest.org/world/en/flights/detail:AlexR/20.5.2017/17:03#fd=flight

or
http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/1625289

Peter Spear got away an hour later around noon, but also had a very good day,
making a 7 hour, 307 km dogleg flight and landing not far from Alex.
https://www.xcontest.org/canada/en/flights/detail:pspear/20.05.2017/18:07

A group of paraglider and hang glider pilots are all gathered together in
Alberta this week for the "miles in May" record encampment, taking advantage of
the yearly dry weather window between the end of winter and the beginning of the
rainy month of June. As we draw near the summer solstice, pilots on the northern
prairies can take advantage of nearly 16 hours of daylight, as the sun does not
set until 9:30 PM.

Female Canadian record-holder Nicole McLearn was towing for the group yesterday,
but should be back in the air today hoping that the good weather continues. The
weather synopsis continues to show a moderate northwesterly flow around a
high-pressure ridge stationed along the Eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains. She
got shot down the day before after 55 km due to a line of overdevelopment and
showers.

Here is a view of the sky south of Calgary (about 100 km west of the flight
line), taken by pilot Glenn White around noon. Landing fields everywhere, and
retrieve roads spaced every 1 mile apart as far as the eye can see.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10155255302804424&set=pcb.10155255306869424&type=3&theater