Paragliding World Cup Linzhou: 7-14 June
"Spectacular flying conditions with rugged canyon landscapes"
3 June, 2025, by Cross Country | Photo: PWCAThe Paragliding World Cup is returning to Linzhou in China for its second round of the 2025 season.
The Linzhou World Cup will run from 7-14 June and feature some of the world’s top pilots who will once again gather in one of Asia’s most celebrated flying arenas.
Linzhou is one of China’s best know paragliding sites, known for its spectacular cliffs and canyons. It was last used as a venue for the Paragliding World Cup in 2019.
Beyond its natural beauty, however, Linzhou is also rich in cultural heritage. The local community also warmly welcomes international pilots, organisers say.
The Taihang Canyon Scenic Area offers spectacular flying conditions with rugged canyon landscapes and diverse terrain that challenges pilots with a mix of mountain and valley flying tasks.
Situated on the eastern edge of the Taihang Mountains, Linzhou Mountain boasts a wide launch area and a vertical drop of 800m to the valley below.
Thermals average 5–6m/s in June, with potential climbs reaching up to 4,700m, providing technical and demanding race conditions in the world. Tasks typically run along the east-facing cliffs in the morning before taking pilots out into the flats in the afternoon.
With 120 pilots heading to Linzhou some of the favourites include Baptiste Lambert, who has already claimed victory at Linzhou in a previous edition, alongside Honorin Hamard, Hippolyte Melo, Stan Radzikowski, and Tilen Ceglar — all known for their strategic skills and tactical precision.
In the women’s field, Galen Kirkpatrick and Jenny O’Neil, both representing the USA, are poised to challenge for podium positions.
Organisers say this event also marks an important milestone for the World Cup in Asia, building on the momentum of successful Asian Tour events in recent years.
The 2025/2026 World Cup circuit sees at least six week-long competitions plus a two week Superfinal in Spain in spring next year.
The calendar looks like:
- Algodonales, Spain: 10-17 May (completed)
- Linzhou, China: 7-14 June
- Feltre, Italy: 28 June to 5 July
- Krushevo, North Macedonia: 20-27 July
- Aksaray, Turkey: 16-23 August
- Panchgani, India: 14-21 February 2026
- (March/April 2026 – date and venue to be confirmed)
- Pegalajar, Spain: Superfinal, 12-23 May 2026
