Blogging

I have heard from lots of people over the past few months that they were disappointed that I stopped blogging during my trip to Australia for the comps - I didn't know anyone was reading but I guess I was wrong. Some said they were living vicarously through me and that I had let them downl - sorry. I am NOT in Sportavia any more and I know if you visit my blog you are tired of seeing the dog asleep on the car hood.

Australia was an amazing experience for me and I really learned a great deal. Moyes gliders and the Moyes family are both absolutely amazing!!! When you get buy a Moyes glider you get so much more. Thanks Kraig Coomber for all your time, attention, and flying tips. Kraig takes really really good care of us at Kagel Mountain (los angeles, ca) and we would be sunk without him.

I have been back in the US flying lots with my local hg buddies Phil, Ron, Chip, Andy, Jim, and on the rare occasion Kraig. Trying to tune my climbing skills and gain even more experience so I may be more consistent in the comps.

Flytec came and went and was an AMAZING time. Quest is like hang gliding utopia and if you have never been there it is a special place that you MUST visit. I did ok for a newbie at the comp, I was hoping to do a little better but it took me two days to get my groove on... I continue to learn by making mistakes at these comps but more than anything it is great fun. Jonny and Brent were a tremendous help by putting my new sail on my glider before I arrived and then picked me up at the airport. I was thinking wow, what a nice couple of guys - then they tell me that I will be getting up at 5:00 AM and going to the Florida Ridge meet with them (3 hours away) for the last day, as their driver. We still had fun and driving for those two is simple - just drive fast to goal and pick them up. Big thanks to my Australian travel partner Jim Prahl for letting me stay with him at quest (and having a golf cart for me as a car and towing me up for the photo you see here - ABOVE THE CLOUDS) and to everyone else there who made the trip so much fun - you know who you are.

I went to Seattle a few weeks ago and hooked up with Darren Darsey (http://liftzone.blogspot.com/) and flew Tiger mountain. He hooked me up with an WW Eagle to fly and we had a nice time thermaling with Bald Eagles with Mt. Rainer in the background...beautiful flying - Thanks Darren.

Right now I am just flying a ton to get ready for the Pre-worlds in Big Spring, TX. It starts August 6th and I am very excited to compete. Currently I am ranked 7th in the US and need to move up a place to be on the US Team for the 2007 Worlds - I will have my game face on in TX (I hope you hear me Tom L.) and hope to do well. I plan to blog as the comp un-folds so check back in.

Til then, fly high, fly safe, fly far.

ps. Thanks to everyone in the Hang Gliding community who has been so nice and supportive - I really appreciate it.