The biggest cheers went to those that missed the pontoon and splash-landed in Lake Wanaka, New Zealand. Laura Trott shares the good vibes from the Magic Land Adventure Sports Festival held in March.
Brent Findlay opens the festival in style. Photo: Magic Land
The inaugural Magic Land Adventure Sports Festival in New Zealand officially opened with Brent Findlay skydiving in with a giant New Zealand flag that could be seen across Wanaka. It was spectacular.
Organisers Vicki Zadrozny and Dan Pugsley were left overwhelmed by the positive feelings, support and success of the Magic Land debut. The couple got the idea after returning from Europe and attending similar festivals. However, they had never run an event before, but that didn’t stop them.
With encouragement and support from Alan Swann, organiser of flying events like the UK’s Buttermere Bash – inspiration for Magic Land – and an endless list of dedicated helpers, the event went ahead without incident. With Swanny’s efforts and advice on general flying safety, the festival was incident-free: A major credit to the whole team.
Festival-goers started arriving at the exclusive Glendhu Bay location on Monday to spend the rest of the week surrounded by some of New Zealand’s best sky-based adventure sport talent. Paragliders, speed flyers and paramotors with their very own Candy Man who released parachutes of lollies from the sky for children. Other crowd favourites included a mixture of Base, wingsuit and tracking suit exits in the “Skytek Expression Session”.
Greeting Acro Competitors on the shore. Photo: Magic Land
Blake Round, owner of ParatowNZ, and Sanae Noguchi brought Acrofest to the event. The Acrofest Finals, New Zealand’s national aerobatic paragliding competition, also took place in front of the gathered beach crowd. Full (and funny) commentary was provided over the speakers which connected those on the ground with the performing pilots. Brooke Whatnall took home first place overall and Marika Pechackova took it home for the women. Well done to our national Acrofest champions.
If that wasn’t enough, aerobatic planes flew overhead and aerial performance artists dazzled with elegance and strength in their crowd pleasing performances. There were talks from YouTube celebrity Benjamin Kellet and Red Bull X-Alps pilot Kinga Masztalerz, as well as many other ground-based activities for family and children – like the spacenet rigged among the trees.
Making friends and memories in Magic Land. Photo: Magic Land
In the evenings everyone could celebrate, let loose and make everlasting memories to the background of incredible live bands, DJs and local musicians.
Organiser Vicki said: “We have kick-started something so unique and special for our sports and communities here in the South Island. That’s down to everyone that turned up, showed their support and believed in the vision.”
It was the community of flying legends that made the festival a success. As the sun went down on Sunday and the wind finally started to blow, the words on everyone’s lips were: “We can’t wait to do it all again next year!”
With thanks to:
- Eric Pemberton, jump plane pilot
- Sue Walsh, NZPF president and skydive organiser
- Nick Taber, CEO of the NZHGPA for support and advice
