Monday, July 8
    The morning in Donovaly is as expected completely clear and appropriately chilly after the passing of the cold front. Before nine the first cumulous clouds begin popping up over the surrounding hills, at relatively low altitudes - a typical post-front situation.

    The ride up in the cable car to the starting ground takes place today already at 11 o'clock - those who are prepared are not surprised. The wind though, has a northern direction and it is, unfortunately, too weak for staying up, but too strong in the southern wind shelter at the start.



    More than two hours of waiting begins, for a change in the streaming. Clouds form above the crest from the sunlit, southern side and the wind stays stubbornly northerly. A precarious situation.





    After 1 p.m., a 32km long discipline is announced at the briefing with three turning points. The Panský Diel hill above Banska Bystrica, Majerova Skala to the West of Donovaly and the Magura hill, not far from the landing ground. The goal today will be at the lower side of the cable car station in Donovaly and the start window is open from 13:45 to 16:00.




    After such a long wait, it is clear to everyone that there is no possibility other than to start on the northern side of the crest. A few minutes after 2p.m., Juraj Čiernik flies off and unsuccessfully tries looking for thermals after flying around the hill in the wind shelter. Barely ten minutes after him Jaroslav Jandúch and Michal Orolin try it on the windblown northern side and after a while, Štefan Vyparina joins them. The result, however, is only endless planing of the crest at the starting altitude or just above it.

    "Considering the super weather, there are very few pilots in the air", sighs someone and the whole racing field gradually moves into waiting positions. Only 15 minutes before 3p.m.,Miro Čechmánek, local conditions expert, takes off outside of the competition and cleverly flies around the entire hill in a tight arch and after five minutes of looking starts to rise uncompromisingly above the Donovaly Valley. Starting fever breaks out and in another 10 minutes the first threesome of racers are turning the base and flying off in the direction of Banska Bystrica.



    While another five pilots are forced to land in the Donovaly Valley, eight others quickly manage to rise in the waning risers and set out on the route following the first three. The cloud bases are lifting from their original 2300m meters above sea level, to 2600 meters in places and the average speed of risers fluctuates between 4 and 5m/s. Even though Peter Borgula and Vít Mádr land at the first turning point, nine pilots continue successfully onward. Barely five kilometers beyond the second turning point, still leading as of yesterday, racer Michal Orolin drops off.

    Shortly before 4p.m. Ján Kolesár and Štefan Vyparina are happily turning victorious spirals above the goal, only to find out after landing that they had completely forgotten the third turning point which lay barely 1.5km to the east of the goal. Juraj Čiernik is in a similar position with the difference that upon reaching the goal, he no longer has the height for the third turning point.

    After flying around all three turning points , only four pilots gradually fly in to the goal. The winner of today's discipline, with the best time of one hour and 24 minutes is Štefan Bendík, and Peter Mensák comes in five minutes later. Stefan Stefak with Jaroslav Janduch then arrive half an hour later.

    "I had 5 meters up and suddenly 20 meters down", Jozef Kutlák describes the total collapse of his paraglider near the second turning point. He managed to get over the whole situation, in the end, and finally flew almost within sight of Donovaly.

    "With a strange woman in a strange room, it seems I'm finishing up an affair", sings Michael Kocáb from the bar speakers at the bed & breakfast Spiežovec and while it has gotten dark, on the benches in front of the bar, another affair is just starting.



    Today brought a marked shuffle of the cards in the overall placing, and by the looks of the weather it seems that the cards will continue to be shuffled over the following days.