Andreas Malecki and Vanja Eggesvik win SRS

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‘Highest pilot level ever’ at SRS Skywalk Edition in Italy

Andreas Malecki and Vanja Eggesvik took the top spots at the Skywalk Edition of the Sports-class Racing Series in Bassano, Italy

1 June, 2026, by Cross Country | Photos: Marcus King

After five great tasks it was World Cup legend Andreas ‘Pepe’ Malecki (DEU) who stood on the top step of the podium of the SRS Skywalk Edition in Bassano, Italy. He finished ahead of Ross Desmond (USA) and Marco Sommerfeld (CHE).

In the women’s competition Vanja took the top spot ahead of USA’s Summer Barham and Poland’s Joanna Kocot. Team Gin came out on top in the battle with Ozone with Team Nedsu finishing in third place.

The competition, held in the last week of May, saw a strong field of pilots with several who have moved over from the World Cup circuit, including winner Pepe Malecki. Famously, Pepe has flown in more than 100 World Cup events. Organiser Brett Janaway said the overall high level of pilots meant that the competition achieved the highest WPRS score of any SRS event to date.

Thermalling to the west of launch on task 2. All photos: Marcus King

The week started with stable conditions as a heatwave came to the northern plains of Italy, with temperatures soaring to the mid 30s. The stability though meant cloudbase was low with pilots only getting to around 1,100m, making it hard to push on.

Task 1 was a 70km race-to-goal that passed back in front several times before heading to goal at the well-known Garden Relais Hotel.

Following successful trials at the CIVL Explorer competition the SRS introduced “elevated goals” at this event. Instead of the previous separate end-of-speed section (ESS) and then goal, an elevated goal combines the two but with a minimum altitude – in this case 200m AGL.

Pilots arriving below this altitude in goal lose a percentage of their speed points. The idea is to encourage pilots to come off their speedbar at goal with height to spare but spectators will get to the see the spectacle up close.

The trial was deemed a success and the elevated goal was used in all tasks with some minor adjustments to give separation between pilots finishing the race and landing. Task 1 saw 67 pilots make it in with Pepe Malecki winning the day.

Despite the stable conditions, organisers called an 86.7km task for Task 2. After the start pilots headed east on the main ridge at Bassano, where the lift was working well although turbulent lower on the ridge. The field then headed west on the classic route to a turnpoint on Cima Summano above Piovenne-Rochette after a long valley crossing. This was then repeated as pilots turned back east to the Garden Relais.

With weak lift and low bases the attrition rate was high and only 25 pilots made it all the way back. Gin team pilot Tom Hodgkin (GBR) won the day with Summer Barham (USA) top woman on her Ozone Photon.

Task 3 saw better than expected conditions giving better racing conditions. It was a Fast and Furious day with the winner flying at an average of 31km/h! The task saw 112 of the 130 pilots completing the 60km task. Pepe won the day, with Summer the top woman again.

After a couple of days lost to storms, the pilots gathered on launch for Task 5 with higher cloudbases predicted. For once pilots had clouds to help indicate the lifty lines but pilots had to change gear as the task hit the flatlands.

Tyr Goldsmith (ISL) managed to cross the goal line three and a half minutes ahead of everyone else after 65km of flying on his new BGD Tigra. Vanja Eggesvik (NOR) returned to her winning ways taking the top spot in the women. A total of 91 pilots made goal.

The start gaggle above the city of Bassano del Grappa

The final day promised similar conditions but reality was somewhat different with high cloud moving in making conditions more tricky. The last leg of the task sent pilots to a turnpoint in the flats before heading back upwind to Bassano followed by a quick dash back to the Garden Relais.

The tactical question was ridge or flatlands? The ridge being more reliable but longer. Pal Takats (HUN) won the day taking the mountain route, but lifty lines around goal made it a closer run thing than it looked like it would be. Magdalena Janaway (GBR) won the day in the women’s with 64 pilots celebrating in goal.

The event finished off with the prize giving where a Skywalk wing was given away in the prize draw – the lucky winner was Tom Frances.