Friday, May 9
    After four racing days beneath a clear blue sky and bright sun, this morning is slightly overcast and a cold northern wind is blowing across Stranik. Reports of storms in Moravia are coming in and their appearance in this part of Slovakia cannot be ruled out.



    The cloud cover breaks up completely before noon, the winds turns to the southeast and cumulous clouds begin to pop up over Stranik. The first cumulous clouds in four days of racing. At the briefing, a 55 km long discipline to the village of Rabča over one turning point, which, as usual is Lutiše, is announced. The start window will be open from 12:30 to 14:00 and the starting point is open to all at 13:15. The type of assignment today is, "Race to goal", which allows tallying of points for all pilots, in the event of premature ending of the race due to storms, according to their actual position on the route.



    "I'd better take double gloves", decides Petr Kostrhun looking at the growing cloudiness northwest of Stranik. The favorites today are in evidently in a hurry and immediately following the opening of the start window, the sky is full.

    "To the left!" someone yells in the gaggle of circling racers and the colorful chutes slowly rise over the mountain. The clouds to the west of Stranik darken and the southern wind begins to increase.




    Twenty minutes after the opening of the start window, Peter Mensák plummets to the southwest slope from a height of about 50 meters doing acrobatic figures, and due to his severe back pain, a helicopter is called in just in case. The start window is suspended at 13:05, the peak of Stranik cleared and the pilots in the air are called upon to land.




    But a very complicated situation arises as the starting point above Stranik is to open at 13:15 and the organizers decide to cancel today's discipline. So following today, the overall placing of the race remains the same and there is time to watch the Czech Republic vs. Canada. hockey game. The final score of 8:4 in favor of Canada brings no joy, however. Bad luck Friday the 9th ...