Before the Paragliding World Championships started in Roldanillo we interviewed a few of the pilots in a bid to get to know them better. We’ll be running a few of those interviews here on XCmag.com during the competition.
Here we catch up with Belgium pilot Tom Ceunen, 45.
What’s your job? Sales Director
Where are you from? Living in USA – Belgium nationality, flying for Belgium.
Any sponsors? Linux Belgium, T2time2, FVLB-FVVB
Online: I’m filming and making videos for the Belgim team. Find me at www.vimeo.com/tomceunen
What’s you gear?
Wing: Gin Gliders Boomerang GTO 2
Harness: Gin Gliders Genie Race
Technology: Samsung Android, XCSOAR, Flymaster Nav B, Kenwood 2M band Radio
Years flying: 20 years, I started in 1994
Where did you learn?
France, St Pierre de Chartreuse. Via friends going for a hang gliding course.
First comp?
1996, France – Clamontard, Belgium Nationals, I did well.
Personal best?
181km, 2002 Piedrahita Spain
Best moments?
1. Flying in ‘Les Vosges’ France, pre-alps with nice triangle options.
2. Flying at home in Virginia, home sweet home, once the leaves are out, mellow thermals with beautiful flats surrounding the Appalachian Mountains.
3. Flying in Roldanillo, very consistent good flying weather, not too strong and plenty flat land flying with almost no wind. And the people in the valley are awesome!
Any bad times?
Incidents near the ground resulting in accidents.
Weirdest thing that’s ever happened to you in paragliding?
A Korean woman once stopped to give me a ride, but she wanted to see inside the bag first and make surer there was a glider. She wanted to be safe and not giving a ride to a bad guy with bad intentions.
And the scariest?
Crash resulting in four months recovering.
Pick a winner for Roldanillo 2015…
The best pilots will win of course! The field of winners is wide open.
Describe yourself as a pilot
Careful, competitive, smart, patient, enjoying every flight, addicted to flying.
How would your friends describe you as a pilot?
Above average, driven, careful
Have you flown in Roldanillo before?
Awesome place, number 1 for me! The mix of the best in not too strong conditions. I don’t like the sometimes crazy lee-side thermal down below in front of launch.
Your goal in this comp?
Getting back home safely to my wife and nine-year-old son – that’s my prime goal!
