Ralph Herten <<email>> writes:

2009 CANADIAN HANG GLIDING NATIONALS

Location: Sun Peaks, BC

Dates: Week of August 15 - 23

Registration/Official Practice Day – Saturday, August 15
Competition Days – Sunday, August 16 – Saturday, August 22
Awards & Dinner – Saturday, August 22
Travel Day – Sunday, August 23

Classes: Class B GAP/Racing Meet
Open Class
King Posted Class
Rigid Wing Class will be considered if attendance warrants
Club Class will be considered if interest warrants

The Flying Site:

Sun Peaks has played host to numerous prior hang gliding competitions, including the Canadian Nationals, Sun Peaks team meets and Speed Gliding competitions.  It is a proven cross country flying site, which appeals to intermediate and advanced pilots alike.  Sun Peaks is one of the higher sites in Canada, with a launch altitude of 6800 ft, providing consistent soaring conditions right off launch.  Cross country flights are possible in all directions, providing the task committee with a great variety of potential open and closed tasks.  We have access to a large, safe LZ within easy glide of the launch and there are generally good XC landing options in the area.

Sun Peaks Resort will operate the Burfield chair lift exclusively for the Canadian Nationals and has confirmed that chair lift operation hours will be arranged to best suit the competition launch schedule (ie – lift will run in the late morning).  The chair lift is a fun way to get people and equipment efficiently up to launch and eliminates the need for arranging rides up the mountain.

Pilot Qualifications:

HPAC insurance will be mandatory for all competitors.  Temporary insurance will be available at the comp for international competitors.  The Meet will be open to all pilots with an HPAC rating (or equivalent) of Intermediate and above.  Acceptance of anybody not possessing this qualification will be at the discretion of the Meet Director and/or Safety Director.

Sun Peaks and Area:

Sun Peaks is a very picturesque resort town which is well known in the winter for skiing, but is also a lively and scenic town in the summer months.  The self contained village has all the basic amenities, including accommodations, dining, shopping, pubs, etc.  Local attractions in the summer include an 18 hole golf course and driving range, swimming pool, live music, hiking, mountain biking, tennis, horseback riding and more.  The nature of the Sun Peaks Resort venue provides a great holiday experience for pilots and non-pilots alike.  For additional amenities, the city of Kamloops is only 45 minutes away.

Sun Peaks is within reasonable driving distance for most competitors from Western Canada and North Western USA.  Vancouver, Calgary and Seattle have the nearest international airports, with Vancouver being about 4 hours driving time from Sun Peaks.  Kamloops airport and Kelowna airport are closer and also offer limited commercial flights.

Accommodations:

Many types of accommodations to fit all budgets are available, all within close proximity to each other.  A wide variety of hotel and condo accommodation is available for rent at discounted off-season prices.  We are currently negotiating even better pilot discounts, which will be announced when confirmed.  The proximity of the accommodations and “village atmosphere” of Sun Peaks will provide a sociable après-fly experience for pilots, family and friends.  For the die-hard campers, there will be some rudimentary arrangements at Ian McArthur’s Sun Peaks B&B or full service camp grounds further off site.

Entry fee:

Entry fee’s will be confirmed shortly and will likely average about $150 CDN per pilot, with a pre-registration fee structure to be determined.  The entry fee will cover scoring, awards dinner, trophies, cash prizes, give-aways and T-Shirts.  Chair lift tickets of $16/day will be payable directly to the Resort.  Retrieves, meals and accommodations are the responsibility of the pilots.

Event Staff:

Ralph Herten (Vancouver, BC) is the Meet Director and co-organizer.  Ralph has been a regular competitor in the Canadian Nationals for almost ten years and has also flown or competed at various events within the US, Mexico and Australia.  He has been involved in organizing other hang gliding competitions and is familiar with the local flying scene, having been a past resident of the Kamloops and Sun Peaks area.

Co-organizer Ian McArthur (Kamloops, BC) has been flying for over twenty years and competing in competitions for most of this time.  He has had extensive experience organizing prior competitions, including several previous Canadian Nationals at Sun Peaks and East End Saskatchewan.  Ian has been a resident of the Kamloops and Sun Peaks areas for 40 years and is well connected with the Sun Peaks Resort and surrounding community.

Mark Dowsett (Kitchener, Ontario) will be scoring the event and providing input and guidance from his extensive prior experience in organizing successful hang gliding competitions.  Mark has been an avid competitor in international hang gliding and paragliding competitions for over ten years and will be representing Canada for the second consecutive time at the Hang Gliding Worlds in 2009.

Leif Hanson (Edmonton, Alberta) has accepted the nomination as Safety Director.  Leif is a well known and respected pilot in the Canadian hang gliding scene and has been a regular participant at the Canadian Nationals and other hang gliding comps throughout Western Canada and NW USA.