New year, new season – what’s on in January 2026

The new year is kicking off with several big comps around the world as pilots prepare for what everyone hopes will be a good and safe flying year. Here’s a rundown of some of the main competitions coming up.

XC comps

It’s all go this weekend in Colombia, one of several migratory regions for northern hemisphere pilots. The first SRS of the season takes place 9-16 January at the well-known site of Roldanillo. The SRS Gin edition is fully sold-out with 129 confirmed pilots, including 18 women, including Riley Ferre, Magdalena Janaway and Elisa Deutschmann. With seven tasks planned, it promises to be a thrilling showdown. The SRS is the first of several comps that Roldanillo is hosting, with the Copa de las Americas and British Winter Open scheduled for February.

Also on next week is the classic Monarca Paragliding Open, which runs 11-17 January in Valle de Bravo, Mexico. This high-level competition attracts pilots from Europe and the USA to one of the world’s best and most consistent competition venues in the world.

This time of year is of course peak season in Australia with the iconic Forbes Flatlands hang gliding championships taking place 12-20 January, filling the air with “cameraderie, competition and adventure”. There will be a live tracking for the event.

The Bright Open also kicks off shortly, running from 16-23 January. This is the first round of the Australian championships, attracting up to 100 local and international pilots. Mystic Hill is a well-known site which organisers say is “often on because it faces the valley wind and cooks up some strong thermals”. Currency will be key for any visiting pilots.

Hike-and-Fly

For those who love to embrace the harshness of winter and all the challenges it offers, this weekend (9-11 January) serves up the winter edition of the Eigertour in the heart of the Swiss Alps. It’s a hike-and-fly format race that sees pilots ski-tour and glide – often in conditions that are challenging for both disciplines.

With snow forecast for the weekend, it looks set to be a repeat of 2025, when pilots found themselves launching and flying in wind and snow. With temperatures below zero, it will also be brutally cold. Unsurprisingly, it tends to attract X-Alps pilots. Those to have registered this year include Nicola Heiniger, (who won last year) Remi Bourdelle and Patrick Harvey-Collard (pictured above).

The next major hike-and-fly event on the calendar is the Wanaka Hike-and-Fly race in New Zealand, which takes place at the end of February organised by Kinga Masztalerz. Registration is open.

For everyone else in the northern hemisphere the stable air mass at this time of year offers perfect conditions for hike-and-fly adventures as well as fun soaring sessions with your parakite or regular wing.