SPEED FLYING CAMP - HOLLISTER , CA.

April 1st through 4th ( one weather day ), 2008.

If you are flying in from out of state, San Jose California is the closest airport located about 35 min from Hollister.


CAMP #1

SPEED FLYING ( GROUND LAUNCHING AND BLADE RUNNING) CAMP LIMIT 5 PEOPLE.

Over the past 4 years we have discovered 3 excellent Speed Flying sites in our area. Our primary site is located next to the landing area at Adventure Center Skydiving in Hollister California. This site is excellent for Ground Launching and Blade Running. Our site in Hollister is only a 5 min. drive from the bunk house and 5 min. drive to the airport for hop-n-pops for Blade Running. Courses we have set up can be flown by "foot launching" or Blade Running for those with the experience, we will have planes standing by. Although the primary focus of this camp is Speed Flying ( ground launching) we will spend a day or partial days Blade Running during the camp. Camp participants can focus on what they prefer to.


Instructors will be available for Speed Flying and Blade Running. Our instructors have between 3 to 5 years experience and a combined total of over 4,000 Speed Flights. That's just between our two primary instructors, Adam Teeling and Kevin Love.

Our other sites our located within 30 min. and 1 hour drive. Both of these locations our right on the coast of Northern California. One site has sand dunes ( 200+ feet) with consistent winds and soft sandy beach landings. Great for more experienced pilots and great for beginners. The hikes are short and it's easy on a good day to make 20+ flights! Great kiting conditions and the soft sand dunes allow more experienced pilots to practice "free style" in a relatively safe environment. The other site is about 1 hour away from Hollister and is amazing! 700 feet, 50+ degree slope, and a nice beach landing with amazing views. If you are a para glider feel free to bring your wing, if you have the extra room, as this is an excellent soaring site. The central location to all three of these sites as well as the Blade Running opportunities, makes this a very unique area to fly. Between these 3 sites, no matter the weather, we can fly 90% of the time.

Recommended experience, at least 200 ram air parachute jumps and or moderate to extensive paragliding experience. This camp is for ALL level of pilots, from those that meet the minimum requirements to expert competition pilots with tons of experience. If you want to come out an learn to Speed Fly for the first time or practice running courses to hone your skills for the next Blade Running comp, this is a perfect camp to learn, train and have a ton of fun. CFP would like to interview camp participants to get a more in depth background of experience levels. This allows us to make sure you have the necessary experience to get the most out of this camp and to customize it to your needs.

What to expect... We will be getting up early about 7 am each day. Check the weather to determine which site to fly that day. Breakfast, then were off. What ever site we choose to fly we like to be at the summit not later than 9:30 am. Some days we fly at more than one site if the weather dictates or the group wants to fly at one particular site. Most days will last from the time we get up until 10pm to 12am. At the end of the day we will head back to the bunk house. A typical evening usually involves watching that days video ( on a bad ass projector ), eating a big dinner and passing out. Wake up the next morning, and repeat. As all sites are with 1 hour drive which makes it easy to "move" around. One site has vehicle access, but be prepared to hike. We recommend that you are in reasonable shape and don't mind to hike. Hiking boots are a must, we also recommend that you bring some form of "gators" to cover your boots and socks. REI sells a perfect pair called "desert gators" about $20 US.

H20 ! ! ! Obvious. It's very easy, especially when you are having a great time, to forget to stay hydrated. Each day make sure you bring plenty of water and some food. Usually we will be taking a mid day break for lunch, but not always. Sometimes we'll pack it in if we are flying a certain site. Stay hydrated its more important than you think!

Bring a range of clothing for the different climates we will be flying in. Sometimes we are in shorts and T's other times we might be in cold coastal conditions were long pants and wind proof clothing will be necessary. Bring your harness and wing of coarse, but we will have Spires for demo at no extra charge ( for those exp. to fly the Spire) Of coarse your skydiving rig, if you plan on blade running. Hop-n-pops are about $18 US.

COST:

The $525 US cost for the camp includes: Instruction, accommodations for 3 days and nights, transportation to and from bunk house and G.L. sites, two meals a day ( breakfast and dinner ) , video of your flights and some demo equipment i.e. harnesses , risers, the SPIRE... For those experienced enough to fly the SPIRE, this is a great opportunity to demo the SPIRE at no extra charge.

Sign up early and save $$. Sign up 2 + weeks in advance and save $25. Our refund policy requires a min of 1 week notice. A charge of $100 will be accessed to late cancelations. A $200 US down payment ( credit card, cashiers check, pay pal...) is required to guarantee your slot. The remainder of $325 will be due upon arrival at the camp.

Spire Videos:

( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcHJmpoQ0pY ) this video shows all three sites as well some Blade Running.

( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoPVpyNUNUc&feature=related ).

Sincerely,


Kevin Love

Kevin Love with the SPIRE at the Columbia SpeedFlying Pro Les Arcs

DAY ONE:

We would all get just ONE practice run, then directly into the first round of competition. The environment was overwhelming! More exposure than I had felt in my entire life.

We were taking off on a rock covered, very steep (40+) degrees, scattered with rocks and obstacles. The close proximity of the gates, made the first half of the course very challenging.

Competitors were forced to ski with there wings above their heads just to make the tight turns possible. The top of the course was the steepest, with the gates placed in positions forcing quick "slalom" like turns, so you can only imagine the difficulty.

The fastest run was in the low 40's (seconds). Penalties were assigned according to the event rules( see speedflyingpro.com )

By the end of day one, I stood in 10th place. A little disappointed with my performance, I received 5 sec penalty.... But was happy with my position in relation to the rest of the US competitors, first. Also, my first Speed Riding competition.

Note on the SPIRE:

There were many "nay sayers" saying that this years course would make it difficult for skydiving type wings, including the SPIRE. With out a practice day it was difficult for me to debate the issue. But my confidence in the SPIRE was extremely high, due to the fact that I had been testing in for the past 3 months.

4 of the top 10 pilots were flying PD SPIRES for the SLALOM event !!!


DAY TWO:

I'm very comfortable in the mountains, in places with high exposure. But this was extraordinary ! The traverse to the launch point for the Big Mountain part of the event (see web site for more details, speedflyingpro.com) was very intimidating. It was only about 500 yards , but it felt like a mile! 75% of the time you were on a razor sharp peak, with a lanyard and a carabiner in case you fell ( and believe me you didn't want to fall!). The altitude was very noticeable , making some of the simplest of tasks difficult, and overall physical performance sub par.

Once at the launch point, we had to "side slide" down a 60% slope to a traverse , where the line up for competitors was. The overall "intimidation" factor was definitely much higher than the first day of slalom.
The numerous possibilities of descending the mountain, and the uncertainty of what kind of strategy to use seemed a little overwhelming. At times it was more of a "just get down safely, don't worry about winning", situation.

Like the first day, we were allowed one practice ,or exploratory run. This did help, but would have been very helpful if we had more than, just one opportunity to "explore" the terrain. At the launch site, you could only see about one third of the entire run, and you couldn't even see the landing area. The average run , in time, was at least 2 min in length. Depending how each competitor approached their runs, had a lot to do with the duration of their run.

Spending more time "on the snow" and "traversing" the mountain , as well as the size of the competitors wing effected the time of their runs. Unfortunately, for the SPIRE, time was not a factor in the judging the Big Mountain portion on the event. Only a limitation of 3 min to finish the run without risking penalties in your score.



Their judging for the event was interesting. The competitors were the judges. At the end of the day we all watched each other with a "score" sheet and gave each other scores which were tallied by the judges and the overall winner was decided by their score that day and points already earned in the slalom event. I would say that opinions differed amongst competitors regarding judging criteria. Which made the choosen judging format more interesting

The primary difference in opinions between the French, US and some other countries were the French valued "contact" with the snow. If the competitor was in contact with the snow nearly the entire run, they were scored the highest.

On the other side of the coin, the judging could have been more balanced. Rewarding the competitor equally for "engaging" the slope and their actual piloting skills. Meaning their ability to navigate the terrain. Considering proximity flying, commitment to "lines" through rocks and cu-oars, etc. Basically mixing it up, so that there is weight given equally to both styles of speed riding. One, engaging the terrain, staying on the snow. The other high speed piloting in close proximity to the mountain and choice of line or route.

This sport is still evolving, so I think in time, that all areas of the world will come to a closer agreement on judging criteria. Regardless of opinions, the event was a huge success. I've been to many events over the years and this was DEFINITELY one of the safest, well organized and enjoyable events I've ever been to.

The organizers did an incredible job with the logistics. Rarely were we ever behind schedule. We had plenty of "ground crew" helping. For example, I lost one ski during the first practice run on the slalom day, and it was brought down to me within minutes allowing me to continue on without holding up the show.

Overall, the competition was a huge success! I would have very little to say in regards to improving the over all flow and organization of the comp. The only possible discrepancies were opinions on the judging, but my attitude is "when in Rome" , so next year I will make it easy on the judges, now that I know what they want to see.

Sincerely,

Kevin Love

Kevin Love flying the SPIRE in Chamonix