A battle of the states is set to take place in the skies above Manilla, NSW over the Easter weekend with the Paragliding State of Origin event returning for its 26th year.
The NSW Cockroaches and Queensland Cane Toads will battle it out to see which state is the champion of cross-country flying. There is also a team for pilots from all other states and countries called the World Barbarians, so nobody misses out.
The Cane Toads may have won last year, but the Barbarians are confident 2025 is their year.
The teams are based on where participants earned their PG2 paragliding certification. The Paragliding State of Origin is run by the Newcastle Paragliding Club – one of the largest paragliding clubs in the country.
All pilots in the event are members of the Sports Aviation Federation of Australia (SAFA), which has approximately 3,500 members taking to the skies annually across disciplines of paragliding, hang gliding, powered paragliding and microlights.
“This annual event is an exhilarating experience for our novice and intermediate paragliders, offering a unique blend of competition and camaraderie,” said event organiser Peter Beamish.
Participants will have the opportunity to fly cross-country, guided by experienced pilot mentors in a group-based format.
“Pilots will launch from Mt. Borah, navigating open distances and scoring is based on a handicap system that is based on the number of kilometres flown in a straight line from take-off to landing.
“Pilots from across the states come together to push their limits and soar to new heights, embodying the true spirit of adventure and sportsmanship,” Peter added.
The Mt Borah site near Manilla is one of the best paragliding sites in the country with the world class Fly Manilla facility that is home to many major paragliding and hang gliding events. The State of Origin is an annual event, and the second largest of event of the national paragliding calendar.
Competitors travel from all over the country to Manilla to take part in the event. With approximately 160 pilots expected to participate, the Paragliding State of Origin 2025 is set to be a thrilling and memorable event.
Spectators are welcome and will find the best viewing areas for the competition at the launch sites on Mt Borah.
The competition takes place from Friday 18 to Sunday 20 April. More information is available from the Newcastle Paragliding Club
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