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Tei. 985-2131

HANG GLIDING AT GROUSE MOUNTAIN

By PAT RICH

Hang. gliding § and
Grouse Mountain go
well together.

The peace found at the top
of a mountain and the silent
grace of the hang gliders
could not be more com
plementary And the perfect
Viewing conditions that
tasted throughout the
weekend made the — fitth
annual Grrouse Mountain
Invitational Hang  Crlding
Championships the perfect
therape uth spectator sport

Howerver conditions id
not start so well and ghauter
pilots only bad a chance te
participate in ome oof the
scheduled heats Thursday as
cloud obscured the top oof
the mountary at cdeub met
clearupti date afternoon

On Friday thying was not
able oto begin until after
lunch tut trom that time on

the skies cleared and
Saturday and Sunday's
competition went right on
schedule

Fifty-nine pilots were
entered in the event, mainly
from Calwforma and Brntish

Columbia. with some
participants from as far away
as Austraha Texas and
Hawa

Despite the calibre of the
visiting pilots. it was a West
Vancouver resident. 29
year old Robin Pederson
who was the dominant pilot
throughout the Compe tition
and the casy overall winner

Pederson who owns a
North Shore hang gliding
Company and diving
company has been hang
xhidling for six years and has
been flying on the Grouse
compe ion since began

He has consistently placed

among the top competitors

but ths was the first: ume
Pederson has actually won
the competition

Watching the progress of
the compettnon, he made it
look casy

The competion involved
sin heats of groups of three
ghders compcting = § against
each other aad then one
round ol one on one
competition and an Open
Window round where pilots
tned to stay in the arr as long
as possible

During the three pilot
heats. the gliders were
launched within seconds of
cach other from the Peak
and maximum puints were
awarded to the pilot who
stayed in the au the longest

bach of the other ghders
ta the heat was awarded a
frachon oof the maaimum
points depending on how
long they stayed in the au

Additional points were
awarded for the landing.
Maximum points were
awarded for landing tn a five
footin diameter circle on the
playing field at) Cleveland
School in an upnght position
without: any parts of the
ghder touching the ground.

Ghiders lost a lot of points
tl they failed to land in the
field oof landed out of
control, instances of which
did occur dunng the event

Pederson = said that
knowing the mountain was
no advantage during these
he ats

“You always fy the man”
he said

He said the obyect is to fly
your ghider in such a way
that “he can't see you but
you can see him ©

Ihe heats résembled dog
fights as milots wheeled tor

CONTINUED ON PAGE 87

9

80-9211

EASY WINNER in the
race for the goal line,
B.C. Lions Larry Key
put on an _ incredible
burst of speed to beat
three Ottawa

- Roughriders and score

a touchdown on a 60-
yard third quarter run
Saturday at Empire
Stadium. For story see
page  B2. (Eric
Eggertson photo)

3rd Annual
Hockey
Sale

p. B3

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