2016 New Zealand Paragliding Cross-Country Championships
April 1st 2015 to March 31st 2016
Updated by the administrator of the NZ PG flights database,
Tim Percival.
Last updated 01 May 2016.
Back
Here’s the confirmed standings and wrap up of the 2016 competition! It has been another extraordinary season of new achievements and extended best distances. The top placed pilots of last season have continued where they left off with more brilliant flying in the South Island, especially in the Otago mountains, and especially in December and early January. And they have enticed other pilots to start off with them, perhaps involving a hike to launch, resulting in more personal bests all round.
Here’s a list of just some of the highlights:
- NZ’s Open Distance record broken twice, the mark is now 235.8 km (Nick Neynens, Sugarloaf Spur)
- NZ 200km open distance achieved for the first time (Neynens)
- NZ’s FAI Triangle record extended to 147.7 km (Bryan Moore, Cardrona)
- NZ’s Female Open Distance extended to 83.4 km (Kinga Masztalerz, Treble Cone)
- NZ’s Tandem Open Distance record broken, the mark is now 88.4 km (Laurent Faniel, Treble Cone. The previous record had stood for ten years!)
- Fourteen NZ100km open distance flights flown in the three week period Dec 18 to Jan 4
- Twenty-one flights over 100km, when measured with three turn points, flown over the three week period Dec 17 to Jan 5, that's a one per day average!
- A new regional open distance record for Wairarapa (Mick Kennish, 47.8 km).
- Five NZ100km open distance flights achieved from four different sites on the same day (Sugarloaf Pass, Treble Cone, Cardrona & Pakituhi Spur on January 5).
For details of other site records flown during the season, look for asterisks in the right hand column of the Season Site Best Flights tables.
2016 NZ XC Champions and Category Winners
XC Champs Table - Final Standings
North Island Table
2016 Season Site Best Flights
2016 Season Milestone Flights
2016 NZ XC Champions and Category Winners
Title/Category
|
Pilot
|
Notes
|
1st place and 2016 NZ XC Champion
|
Nick Neynens
|
Wow! On his brief return from overseas Nick has raised the bar even further, flying 1500 XC flight kilometres in three weeks, including two flights over 200 km open distance, for back-to-back titles. See Airborn 197 or www.sharemyjoys.com for details of his adventures of December/January!
|
1st Runner Up
|
Bryan Moore
|
Only just edged out for a second time in as many seasons, Bryan successfully tried triangle high scoring, setting a new NZ FAI Triangle record (147.7 km, Cardrona), had a best three-turn-point distance of 227 km (Cardrona), and added six more NZ100km open distance flights to his personal tally.
|
2nd Runner Up
|
Louis Tapper
|
Louis’ flights included flights over 125 km open distance from three different Otago sites! (Sharks Tooth, Sugarloaf Pass and Cardrona).
|
2016 Women's XC Champion
|
Kinga Masztalerz
|
New to NZ, and new to South Island flying, Kinga’s women’s title comes on the back of an adventurous 135 km three-turn-point flight from Treble Cone that traversed mountains west and north of Lake Wanaka. In open distance, a new NZ Female Open Distance record (83.4 km).
|
Best Rookie (first-time PG2 competitor)
|
Doug Patterson
|
Doug’s flights got up to an open distance best of 59 km! (From Coronet Peak, Otago).
|
North Island Champion
|
Shaun Gilbert
|
Shaun had the best N.I. flight (93 km, Te Mata Peak), helping him defend his North Island title.
|
Longest North Island Flight
|
Shaun Gilbert
|
93.7 km from Te Mata Peak, Hawkes Bay.
|
Longest South Island Flight
|
Nick Neynens
|
235.8 km from Sugarloaf Pass, Otago.
|
Well done all of the above! (Especially Nick) :) Thank you to all who submitted flights so we could see where there was good flying to be had.
Back to Top
2015/2016 NZ PG XC Champs Final Standings (top 40 placings)
For detailed flight information and relative rankings of all NZ resident pilots, see the
2016 PG XC Champs Table at Leonardo (Leonardo season name: 2015).
(Note that for the NZ PG XC Champs, the Leonardo table is an approximate table only: international pilots are incorrectly excluded from the NZ club competition, while a flight submitted more than 30 days after the day of the flight is incorrectly included).
Pos
|
Pilot
|
Club
|
F1
|
F2
|
F3
|
Total
|
1
|
Nick Neynens
|
Southern
|
385.6
|
330.8
|
234.4
|
950.8
|
2
|
Bryan Moore
|
Southern
|
341.6
|
296.2
|
274.7
|
912.5
|
3
|
Louis Tapper
|
Southern
|
274.6
|
257.0
|
236.1
|
767.7
|
4
|
Peter Groves
|
Southern
|
238.4
|
220.7
|
171.9
|
631.0
|
5
|
Gert van Maren
|
Southern
|
179.8
|
137.2
|
115.9
|
432.9
|
6
|
Shaun Gilbert
|
Hawkes Bay
|
147.8
|
127.3
|
115.1
|
390.2
|
7
|
Glen Stevens
|
Canterbury
|
194.9
|
87.4
|
80.3
|
362.6
|
8
|
Martin Kräemer
|
Southern
|
145.9
|
125.3
|
87.5
|
358.7
|
9
|
Michal Karnik
|
Southern
|
147.1
|
100.6
|
94.5
|
342.2
|
10
|
Kinga Masztalerz
|
Auckland
|
203.1
|
80.1
|
52.0
|
335.2
|
11
|
Aaron Ford
|
Southern
|
112.4
|
104.7
|
98.7
|
315.8
|
12
|
Jean Brossard
|
Canterbury
|
158.2
|
86.0
|
58.0
|
302.2
|
13
|
Dylan Vickerman
|
Southern
|
125.0
|
97.0
|
75.5
|
297.5
|
14
|
Jeff Ripley
|
Auckland
|
116.5
|
101.9
|
62.0
|
280.4
|
15
|
Eva Keim
|
Auckland
|
113.0
|
95.1
|
71.4
|
279.5
|
16
|
Mal Haskins
|
Southern
|
107.2
|
87.8
|
82.0
|
277.0
|
17
|
Evan Lamberton
|
Auckland
|
105.5
|
89.9
|
77.7
|
273.1
|
18
|
Rory Devine
|
Southern
|
121.2
|
81.6
|
67.5
|
270.3
|
19
|
Ian Douglass
|
Southern
|
104.0
|
79.6
|
78.5
|
262.1
|
20
|
Derek Divers
|
Southern
|
105.4
|
83.7
|
69.9
|
259.0
|
21
|
Doug Patterson
|
Southern
|
92.4
|
85.1
|
78.4
|
255.9
|
22
|
Kat West
|
Southern
|
96.6
|
81.3
|
60.2
|
238.1
|
23
|
Rostislav Vondra
|
Overseas
|
102.1
|
87.5
|
45.8
|
235.4
|
24
|
Bruce Vickerman
|
Waikato
|
93.3
|
71.7
|
70.2
|
235.2
|
25
|
Nick Taber
|
Tasman
|
86.8
|
71.7
|
63.4
|
221.9
|
26
|
Emlyn Revell-Nash
|
Auckland
|
81.0
|
76.0
|
52.4
|
209.4
|
27
|
Rob Gillard
|
Waikato
|
84.5
|
73.9
|
49.2
|
207.6
|
28
|
Tim Brown
|
Tasman
|
72.2
|
69.2
|
64.7
|
206.1
|
29
|
Tim Heather
|
Southern
|
73.5
|
70.4
|
61.3
|
205.2
|
30
|
Helen Jeffery
|
Southern
|
77.7
|
69.5
|
57.2
|
204.4
|
31
|
Denis Buckley
|
Overseas
|
103.6
|
52.8
|
44.8
|
201.2
|
32
|
Roy Tingay
|
Southern
|
84.3
|
72.1
|
42.6
|
199.0
|
33
|
Rob Boyle
|
Tasman
|
87.3
|
58.9
|
41.4
|
187.6
|
34
|
Joe Ward
|
Auckland
|
59.3
|
56.6
|
46.3
|
162.2
|
35
|
Matt Stanford
|
Canterbury
|
59.8
|
57.0
|
42.0
|
158.8
|
35
|
Elliot Revell-Nash
|
Auckland
|
78.8
|
45.9
|
34.1
|
158.8
|
37
|
Rhys Akers
|
Bay of Plenty
|
61.7
|
49.1
|
43.6
|
154.4
|
38
|
Luke Goleman
|
Canterbury
|
61.8
|
52.2
|
38.5
|
152.5
|
39
|
Graham Surrey
|
Auckland
|
61.1
|
53.6
|
34.3
|
149.0
|
40
|
Mike Ferguson
|
Auckland
|
58.8
|
44.8
|
41.5
|
145.1
|
Back to Top
North Island Table (top 20 placings)
(Top scoring from North Island flights).
Pos
|
Pilot
|
Club
|
F1
|
F2
|
F3
|
Total
|
1
|
Shaun Gilbert
|
Hawkes Bay
|
147.8
|
127.3
|
115.1
|
390.2
|
2
|
Jeff Ripley
|
Auckland
|
116.5
|
101.9
|
57.8
|
276.2
|
3
|
Eva Keim
|
Auckland
|
113.0
|
95.1
|
65.0
|
273.1
|
3
|
Evan Lamberton
|
Auckland
|
105.5
|
89.9
|
77.7
|
273.1
|
5
|
Rostislav Vondra
|
Overseas
|
102.1
|
87.5
|
45.8
|
235.4
|
6
|
Bruce Vickerman
|
Waikato
|
93.3
|
71.7
|
70.2
|
235.2
|
7
|
Emlyn Revell-Nash
|
Auckland
|
81.0
|
76.0
|
52.4
|
209.4
|
8
|
Rob Gillard
|
Waikato
|
84.5
|
73.9
|
49.2
|
207.6
|
9
|
Joe Ward
|
Auckland
|
59.3
|
56.6
|
46.3
|
162.2
|
10
|
Elliot Revell-Nash
|
Auckland
|
78.8
|
45.9
|
34.1
|
158.8
|
11
|
Rhys Akers
|
Bay of Plenty
|
61.7
|
49.1
|
43.6
|
154.4
|
12
|
Graham Surrey
|
Auckland
|
61.1
|
53.6
|
34.3
|
149.0
|
13
|
Alex Raymont
|
Overseas
|
83.1
|
59.9
|
0.0
|
143.0
|
14
|
Barry Sayer
|
Hawkes Bay
|
134.3
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
134.3
|
15
|
John Morgan
|
Taranaki
|
93.0
|
40.1
|
0.0
|
133.1
|
16
|
Leighton Joll
|
Auckland
|
52.5
|
39.3
|
31.3
|
123.1
|
17
|
Mike Ferguson
|
Auckland
|
44.8
|
41.5
|
33.9
|
120.2
|
18
|
Mark Curtis
|
Auckland
|
58.5
|
36.8
|
24.1
|
119.4
|
19
|
Kyla MacDonald
|
Auckland
|
52.5
|
33.9
|
27.9
|
114.3
|
20
|
Mark MacDonald
|
Auckland
|
37.8
|
36.5
|
35.2
|
109.5
|
Back to Top
2016 Season Site Best Flights (from entries)
Open Distance
Region
|
Site/Site Group
|
Distance
|
Pilot
|
Date
|
Take Off
|
|
Auckland
|
Dills Hill
|
33.0
|
Jeff Ripley
|
24/01/2016
|
|
|
Auckland
|
Moirs Hill
|
67.2
|
Evan Lamberton
|
09/10/2015
|
|
*
|
Waikato
|
Alans Hill
|
32.4
|
Bruce Vickerman
|
26/11/2015
|
|
|
Waikato
|
Harrys Hill
|
25.0
|
Rob Gillard
|
26/10/2015
|
|
|
Waikato
|
Kaimai Range
|
52.9
|
Rob Gillard
|
29/11/2015
|
(Kaimai)
|
Waikato
|
Te Hoe - Maungakawa
|
30.3
|
Rob Gillard
|
31/10/2015
|
(Pukeitionga)
|
Bay of Plenty
|
Paeroa
|
56.6
|
Stefano Gigli
|
06/01/2016
|
|
|
Hawkes Bay
|
Te Mata Peak
|
93.7
|
Shaun Gilbert
|
14/02/2016
|
|
|
Hawkes Bay
|
Turiri
|
25.8
|
Shaun Gilbert
|
21/02/2016
|
|
|
Wairarapa
|
Bennetts Hill
|
13.0
|
Mick Kennish
|
26/12/2015
|
|
|
Wairarapa
|
Kourarau
|
47.8
|
Mick Kennish
|
03/04/2015
|
|
**
|
Nelson
|
Inwoods Lookout
|
50.3
|
Nick Taber
|
29/11/2015
|
|
|
Nelson
|
Mt Murchison
|
52.6
|
Russell Read
|
02/03/2016
|
|
|
West Coast
|
Denniston - Millerton
|
61.3
|
Bryan Moore
|
26/12/2015
|
(Denniston)
|
*
|
Canterbury
|
Craigieburn Range
|
88.3
|
Jean Brossard
|
23/12/2015
|
(Cheeseman)
|
*
|
Canterbury
|
Libretto Range - Lewis
|
24.4
|
Nick Taber
|
13/11/2015
|
(Mt Faust)
|
Canterbury
|
Mt Hutt
|
11.1
|
Jean Brossard
|
18/12/2015
|
|
|
Canterbury
|
Port Hills
|
33.0
|
Matt Stanford
|
13/11/2015
|
(Mt Pleasant)
|
Canterbury
|
Sealy Range
|
50.6
|
Glen Stevens
|
30/11/2015
|
(Sealy Tarns)
|
Otago
|
Cairnmuir
|
78.2
|
Dylan Vickerman
|
30/10/2015
|
|
*
|
Otago
|
Cardrona
|
196.1
|
Bryan Moore
|
05/01/2016
|
|
*
|
Otago
|
Coronet Peak
|
66.1
|
Aaron Ford
|
06/12/2015
|
|
|
Otago
|
Haast Pass
|
41.5
|
Glen Stevens
|
02/03/2016
|
(Brewster Hut)
|
Otago
|
Hawea Eastern Ranges
|
114.1
|
Gert van Maren
|
05/01/2016
|
(Pakituhi Spur)
|
*
|
Otago
|
Matukituki
|
126.5
|
Bryan Moore
|
29/11/2015
|
(Sharks Tooth)
|
*
|
Otago
|
Mt Iron
|
19.1
|
Bryan Moore
|
04/09/2015
|
|
|
Otago
|
Richardson Mountains
|
150.9
|
Bryan Moore
|
31/12/2015
|
(Moke Lake)
|
*
|
Otago
|
Routeburn
|
235.8
|
Nick Neynens
|
05/01/2016
|
(Sugarloaf Pass)
|
†
|
Otago
|
Roys Peak
|
55.8
|
Bryan Moore
|
30/01/2016
|
|
|
Otago
|
Treble Cone
|
144.8
|
Peter Groves
|
05/01/2016
|
|
|
* Site Record
** Site and Regional Record
† National Record
FAI Out-and-Back
Region
|
Site/Site Group
|
Distance
|
Pilot
|
Date
|
Take Off
|
|
Auckland
|
Dills Hill
|
65.8
|
Jeff Ripley
|
24/01/2016
|
|
**
|
Waikato
|
Kaimai Range
|
64.1
|
Evan Lamberton
|
29/11/2015
|
(Kaimai)
|
**
|
Hawkes Bay
|
Te Mata Peak
|
50.7
|
John Morgan
|
13/03/2016
|
|
**
|
Canterbury
|
Libretto Range - Lewis
|
30.5
|
Nick Taber
|
13/11/2015
|
(Mt Faust)
|
*
|
Otago
|
Cardrona
|
108.7
|
Bryan Moore
|
04/01/2016
|
|
*
|
* Site Record
** Site and Regional Record
† National Record
FAI Triangle
Region
|
Site/Site Group
|
Distance
|
Pilot
|
Date
|
Take Off
|
|
Otago
|
Cardrona
|
147.7
|
Bryan Moore
|
04/01/2016
|
|
†
|
† National Record
Back to Top
2016 Season Milestone Flights
NZHGPA Cross-Country Milestone Achievement stickers are awarded the first time a pilot surpasses the milestone distances of 25, 50, 75, 100, 125, 150 or 200km (open distance) on a hang glider or paraglider in New Zealand. This table lists the pilots who achieved milestone paraglider flights during the 2016 season.
In the North Island, five pilots surpassed 25km for the first time, with Stefano Gigli going on to bag a 50km milestone too from Paeroa. In the spring Eva Keim and Rob Gillard achieved 50km flying from Moirs and Kaimai respectively. In the South Island, 11 pilots achieved NZ25km for the first time, with three (John Smith, Doug Patterson, Kinga Masztalerz) going on to bag 50km milestones too, and one 75km (Masztalerz). Others to achieve 50 and/or 75km flights were (Dylan Vickerman, Aaron Ford, Brendon Sinclair, Michal Karnik). In the higher milestones, Gert van Maren joined the NZ100km “club”! Nick Neynens and Louis Tapper joined the very exclusive 150km “club” (now five members). And yes, Neynens kept flying on his first 150km day to also achieve the first ever paraglider NZ200km milestone!!
Pilot
|
Milestone Achieved (km)
|
Flight Date
|
Open Distance
|
Site Name
|
Aaron Ford
|
50
|
06/12/2015
|
66.1
|
Coronet Peak
|
Andrew Cavaney
|
25
|
02/03/2016
|
26.5
|
Mt Murchison
|
Brendon Sinclair
|
50
|
06/12/2015
|
66.1
|
Treble Cone
|
Doug Patterson
|
25
|
09/11/2015
|
45.8
|
Treble Cone
|
Doug Patterson
|
50
|
23/12/2015
|
59.0
|
Coronet Peak
|
Dylan Vickerman
|
50,75
|
30/10/2015
|
78.2
|
Cairnmuir Spur
|
Eva Keim
|
50
|
29/09/2015
|
51.8
|
Moirs Hill
|
Gert van Maren
|
100
|
05/01/2016
|
114.1
|
Pakituhi Spur
|
Greg Benjamin
|
25
|
27/09/2015
|
25.1
|
Inwoods Lookout
|
Guillaume Mora
|
25
|
23/12/2015
|
30.9
|
Treble Cone
|
Helen Jeffery
|
25
|
06/12/2015
|
33.1
|
Treble Cone
|
Jakub Leder
|
25
|
13/02/2016
|
39.0
|
Treble Cone
|
Jiri Hanc
|
25
|
27/12/2015
|
32.8
|
Inwoods Lookout
|
John Smith
|
25,50
|
06/12/2015
|
54.9
|
Coronet Peak
|
Johnny Hopper
|
25
|
28/12/2015
|
25.7
|
Kaimai
|
Kinga Masztalerz
|
25
|
06/12/2015
|
37.6
|
Treble Cone
|
Kinga Masztalerz
|
50,75
|
05/01/2016
|
83.4
|
Cardrona
|
Louis Tapper
|
150
|
05/01/2016
|
159.6
|
Cardrona
|
Mark Curtis
|
25
|
16/01/2016
|
32.7
|
Kaimai
|
Martin Kräemer
|
75
|
31/12/2015
|
78.3
|
Moke Lake
|
Michal Karnik
|
50
|
11/12/2015
|
55.8
|
Cairnmuir
|
Michal Karnik
|
75
|
13/02/2016
|
90.1
|
Sharks Tooth
|
Mike Ferguson
|
25
|
02/03/2016
|
34.3
|
Mt Murchison
|
Nick Buhaets
|
25
|
20/02/2016
|
29.6
|
Moirs Hill
|
Nick Neynens
|
150,200
|
25/12/2015
|
211.1
|
Ahuriri Eyrie
|
Rob Gillard
|
50
|
29/11/2015
|
52.9
|
Kaimai
|
Robbie Kerr
|
25
|
04/02/2016
|
40.2
|
Te Mata Peak
|
Scott Arrell
|
25
|
09/10/2015
|
26.7
|
Moirs Hill
|
Stefano Gigli
|
25,50
|
06/01/2016
|
56.6
|
Paeroa
|
(Stickers will be sent out in June).
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