2026 Red Rocks Wide Open: race report
Wins for Anneka Herndon, Travis Kool, Violeta Jimenez and Gavin McClurg
2 October, 2026, by Anneka HerndonThe Niviuk 2026 Red Rocks Wide Open (RRWO) took place in Utah last month. It’s where the rocks are red, the skies are big, and the terrain is notoriously wild. This paragliding comp has a unique flavour, shaped by the mountainous terrain and the vast, high-elevation mesas carpeted in Aspen groves that flare orange and red as the fall season begins. The summer flying in Utah also holds a bit of a reputation, with big air, rowdy thermals, and altitudes reaching 18,000ft, requiring flying with oxygen.
The RRWO had a different angle this year by incorporating an SRS Qualifier category into the competition, with 66 participants. The CCC category of the comp was made up of 57 pilots.
Anneka Herndon took first place for the Women’s SRS, and Travis Kool the first place for the overall SRS division. Violeta Jimenez took first for the CCC Women’s while Gavin McClurg swooped to victory in the overall CCC division, all the while being the event organiser. The National Champion was awarded to Reavis Sutphin-Gray, wrapping up an excellent season of paragliding in the USA.
In the past, the RRWO has been held in early September, when the summer conditions are pumping and the influence of monsoonal moisture may or may not influence the task days, making for some pretty epic tasks. But this year the RRWO was held two weeks later than usual and the decision was rewarded with the best weather the comp has ever seen. Mostly light winds, perfect clouds, and plenty high base enabled five out of seven tasks to be flown. Two weather days provided much-deserved rest days that allowed pilots to explore the sweeping red rock canyons Utah is famous for.
Pilots from each category sat on the task committee to create tasks that were at times slightly altered between the SRS and CCC categories. Though the conditions mostly allowed all pilots to fly the same tasks, they always shared one thing in common: “The deepness is unavoidable”. Bill Belcourt coined this term during a task briefing, encouraging pilots to embrace the adventure that is Utah flying, and bring extra food, batteries, and a headlamp.
A few stand-out epic tasks that were set took pilots from Monroe Peak over the Griffen Top with goal in Escalante, a long pinball task from Monroe Peak to goal in Panguich, and a stunning out and back from Horse Heaven, passing by Mt. Nebo with some of the best mountain views, fall colours, and racing conditions anyone could ask for.
At the end of the week, with many kilometres flown, there was an overwhelming sense that pilots’ cups were full. The RRWO topped the week off with an epic party, surrounded by red rock cliffs, bumping music, lasers, and smoke machines. Nothing is quite like the friendships made in the sky and the bonds that come from this unique shared experience of racing paragliders.
