Cross Country Magazine

05/06/2026

The new route for this year's X-Pyr has been announced - and it's a 528km race touching on seven turnpoints.

Details at

The new route for this year's X-Pyr has been announced - and it's a 528km race touching on seven turnpoints

05/06/2026

The NEO Atelier Push Up is billed as the lightest seatboard harness on the market. Designed as a hike-and-fly harness for pilots who prefer a classic ABS geometry, it is also suitable for beginners and as a travel harness thanks to its light weight and compact packed size. Marcus King tries it on for size.

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The Neo Push Up is billed as the lightest seatboard paragliding harness on the market. Marcus King tries it on for size

04/06/2026

'It all began on Tinder. "I was not looking for love or anything, just someone to do fun things with in the outdoors." Myrtille Heissat is explaining the improbable story of how a French girl from Annecy, who was not a pilot, came to take up flying in the Lofoten Islands with a Norwegian called Marius. The result is a lovingly written hike-and-fly guidebook to the islands – and a baby called Malya, now one and a half. But this is not a happy-ever-after story. Read Love and Loss in the Lofoten Islands.

🗞XC265
🔗https://xcmag.info/lofoten

04/06/2026

A lightweight EN-C two-liner that is born to compete – as well as take part in hike-and-fly adventures. That’s the promise of BGD’s new Tigra, which was unveiled last week. It is designed for pilots who want serious XC and competition performance in a lightweight, compact package.

Details at

A lightweight EN-C two-liner that is born to compete – as well as take part in hike-and-fly adventures. That's the promise of BGD's new Tigra.

01/06/2026

How are your top-landing skills? Picking a point on the mountain and saying, “I’m going to land there and have a sandwich”, that’s the freedom of paragliding, says vol-bivouac expert Kinga Masztalerz - Girl Gone Wild. It is a skill that can be learned and practised, like any other, but get it wrong and the consequences can be high.

In the latest issue, Kinga shares her wisdom on how to master the art, safely. A lot comes down to thinking about your approach, and patience. Don’t just stuff it in and hope for the best – you may get away with it once, twice, but finally it’ll bite you!

🔗 https://xcmag.info/toplanding
🗞 XC265

01/06/2026

After five great tasks it was World Cup legend Andreas ‘Pepe’ Malecki (DEU) who stood on the top step of the podium of the Sports-class Racing Series - SRS skywalk Paragliders Edition in Bassano, Italy. He finished ahead of Ross Desmond (USA) and Marco Sommerfeld (CHE).

In the women’s competition Vanja took the top spot ahead of USA’s Summer Barham and Poland’s Joanna Kocot. Team Gin came out on top in the battle with Ozone with Team Nedsu finishing in third place.

Full report at

Andreas Malecki and Vanja Eggesvik took the top spots at the Skywalk Edition of the SRS in Bassano, Italy

01/06/2026

Chrigel wins but rookies triumph… Chrigel Maurer won the first ever Red Bull X-Alps Challenger event at the weekend, but it was the rookie pilots Aaron Mathis, 20, and Romy Sweda, 35, who came away with the biggest grins. After a three-day event which culminated in an 82km one-day hike-and-fly race Mathis and Sweda each won a coveted wildcard entry into next year’s Red Bull X-Alps. “I’m speechless,” Aaron said afterwards. Held in Mayrhofen in Zillertal, Austria, the inaugural Red Bull X-Alps Challenger event saw around 80 hike-and-fly pilots take part.

27/05/2026

“I’m astonished and I need a bit of time to consider what I’ve just done,” new Paragliding World Cup winner Andy Tallia said after his win. Meanwhile women's winner Constance Mettetal was celebrating an unprecedented third Superfinal title: “I’m so happy," she said, "It’s my third Superfinal win, I’m 20th overall, and I finished second in the final task.”

Photos: Martin Scheel and Henry George