Paragliding World Cup 2024: Gourdon next stop

Some of the world’s top pilots are readying themselves for the next stop on the PWC calendar, which begins 24 August in the French village of Gourdon.

The area is home turf for Ozone’s test teams and will be familiar to many French pilots. Located just 20km from the Mediterranean Sea, Gourdon offers consistent thermic conditions, even when the hills behind are snowbound.

The main landing zone is approximately 5km away in the main valley, with closer bomb-out options available. From the launch ridge, pilots can easily transition east towards Courmette and then on to Vence, though landing options become sparse in this direction. With a good climb, pilots can head over the back to Gréolières and the impressive south face of the Cheiron. Often, convergence in the area will assist in returning to the front ridge, making it possible to close impressive triangles.

Ozone pilots Luc Armant, Honorin Hamard, and Baptiste Lambert will be competing, adding to the high level of the event. Other top pilots taking part include Joachim Oberhauser, Ferdinand Vogel and Seb Ospina as well as a host of other talented pilots eager to prove their skills. In the women’s ranking, Elli Egger and Keiko Hiraki are the favourites to reach the podium.

All event information, including detailed schedules, pilot rosters, and live tracking, will be available on the official event page. pwca.events