The magic of‭ ‬Mungyeong

Life on the competition circuit can be a confusing mix of travel, time zones, cultures and uncertainty. We headed to the FAI Asian-Oceanic Paragliding Championships in Mungyeong, South Korea to discover what racing in Asia is like – and why locals say it’s about to boom

I started to question why I’d been handed this assignment as the plane concluded its 12-hour flight from London to Seoul. Apart from a few trips to European flying events, I’m less travelled than I’d like to admit. Asia was an exciting new culture for me and international FAI competitions were far outside my comfort zone as a hike-and-fly pilot and speed flyer. There was a lot to learn in so many ways.

The competition was held in Mungyeong, a three-hour drive from Seoul Incheon airport. As I left the city, the landscape gave way to pointed hills covered top to bottom in trees. Islands of high-rise buildings were dotted in densely packed concrete forests, separated by rice paddies on the...