HOW MILE HIGH PARAGLIDING’S TEAM PREPS FOR COMPETITIONS — AND WHERE YOU’RE SCREWING IT UP
You clicked because you want to know how Ian, Adam, Caz, and Isy turn up to competitions sharp, fast, and ready to crush. You’re not here for fluff. You’re here because you’ve seen them on the podium and you want that edge. But if you’re making any of these seven mistakes, you’re leaving speed, safety, and wins on the table. Let’s rip the band-aid off.
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SHOWING UP WITH A KITE THAT’S BEEN IN THE GARAGE SINCE LAST SEASON
Picture this: It’s dawn at the British Champs. Ian unzips his bag, pulls out his wing, and the lines smell like damp dog. He inflates it anyway. By the second thermal, the risers are sticky, the canopy’s porosity is shot, and he’s fighting a glider that’s 200 hours past its prime. He scrapes into the top ten, but he knows he left 30 seconds per task on the table.
Real cost: A tired wing kills glide, increases collapses, and turns precision f into a wrestling match. You’re not just slower—you’re risking a cravat on final that could drop you from 3rd to 23rd. And if you’re Adam, who flies a two-liner, that’s a one-way ticket to a reserve ride.
Fix: Strip, inspect, and service your wing every 50 hours. Use a porosity tester—if it’s below 300 l/m²/s, retire it or send it to Advance or Ozone for a refresh. Store it dry, in a breathable bag, with silica gel. If you’re f comps, own two wings: one for training, one for racing. Rotate them so neither hits 100 hours before the season ends.
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IGNORING THE WEATHER BRIEF LIKE IT’S JUST SMALL TALK
Caz walks into the briefing, grabs a coffee, and zones out while the met man talks about CAPE, shear, and convergence lines. She nods at the right times, then launches into a blue sky that’s actually a death trap. By 11 AM, she’s in a 12 m/s thermal that’s shearing so hard her wing’s oscillating like a pendulum. She lands early, cursing, while Isy’s already 20 km ahead because she read the skew-T and knew the inversion would break at 1,800m.
Real cost: You’re not just guessing—you’re . Miss the convergence, and you’re scratching for lift while the leaders are already at goal. Misjudge the wind gradient, and you’re fighting a glider that’s trying to turn itself inside out. Every second you’re not climbing is a second the pack is pulling away.
Fix: Treat the weather brief like a pre-flight checklist. Write down the key numbers: wind at 500m, 1,000m, 2,000m; thermal strength; cloud base; inversion height. Use XC Weather, RASP, and Windy. If you don’t understand skew-T diagrams, learn—Isy didn’t start as a met expert, but she put in the hours. And if the briefing’s at 7 AM, be there at 6:45. No excuses.
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TRAINING LIKE A RECREATIONAL PILOT, NOT A COMPETITOR
Adam logs 100 hours a year, but 90 of them are soaring the same ridge, chatting with mates. He shows up to comps and suddenly he’s expected to fly 80 km tasks at 50 km/h. He’s slow on the start, hesitant in thermals, and his ground handling’s so rusty he nearly drags his wing into the fence on launch. By day three, he’s mentally checked out because he’s been lapped by pilots half his age.
Real cost: Competitions aren’t about hours—they’re about *relevant* hours. If you’re not simulating race conditions in training, you’re not just slower—you’re fragile. Your brain isn’t wired for the pressure, your body isn’t conditioned for the G-forces, and your glider feels like a stranger.
Fix: Train like you race. Set up a 20 km speed task in XC Planner, fly it with a stopwatch, and debrief every mistake. Practice ground handling in 20 km/h wind—if you can’t kite your wing in a blow, you’re not ready for a comp launch. Fly with a variometer set to race mode so you’re not fumbling with settings mid-thermal. And for god’s sake, fly with other comp pilots. If you’re the fastest in your group, find a faster group.
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NEGLECTING PHYSICAL PREP LIKE IT’S OPTIONAL
Isy shows up to the European Championships looking lean and mean, but you? You’re carrying an extra 10 kg, your core’s weak, and your neck’s so stiff from desk work you can’t look over your shoulder in a thermal. By the third day, your shoulders are screaming, your legs are jelly from fighting turbulence, and you’re landing early because you’re physically spent. Meanwhile, Isy’s still f at 6 PM, fresh as a daisy, because she’s been doing deadlifts and yoga all winter.
Real cost: Paragliding is a full-body sport. Weak core? You’ll wallow in turbulence. Poor endurance? You’ll gas out on long tasks. Stiff neck? You’ll miss the thermal that could’ve saved your race. And if you think you can out-fly your fitness, you’re wrong. The glider doesn’t care how tough you *think* you are.
Fix: Lift weights twice a week—focus on deadlifts, pull-ups, and core. Swim or cycle https://milehighparagliding.com/.
