OZONE Paragliders

On behalf of the entire Ozone team, we offer our deepest and most sincere condolences to the family, friends, and loved ones of Rémi Bourdelle.

Rémi was a cherished member of the paragliding community, a passionate pilot, and a dedicated athlete whose enthusiasm touched everyone around him. His departure is a heartbreak felt deeply by our team and the entire paragliding world.

Our thoughts and support are with his family and teammates during this exceptionally difficult time.

Rest in peace, Rémi.

“9 hours and 52 minuets, 200 miles flying through the mountains of Utah. Every spring I still wonder if I have what it takes to fly all day, in big conditions. The drive, mental endurance, knowledge and skill are all things that I worry will fade. I’m happy to say that a big day out is still totally enthralling for me.

When Utah delivers it’s amazing!”

By Mitch Riley Mitch Riley

Mediterranean Vibes!
Calabria 🇮🇹

Photos courtesy of Fly with Andy
with 👉 Galego | Fly Free XC Sertão and José Wagner

Glider: Vibe GT

TRANSCAPIXABA HIKE & FLY 2026: A JOURNEY ACROSS ESPÍRITO SANTO

The 2026 Transcapixaba Hike & Fly Full Edition brought a new level of endurance to the Brazilian free-flying scene, challenging athletes to traverse the state of Espírito Santo from north to south. Spanning twelve days, the demanding route connected iconic regions like Pancas, Baixo Guandu, and Castelo. Pilots faced changing weather conditions and diverse landscapes, making strategic decisions on whether to fly, hike, or wait, in what proved to be the longest edition of the event to date.

Thirteen athletes successfully completed the entire course, demonstrating exceptional stamina and terrain assessment. Brazilian pilot Gabriel Jansen Rabello secured victory flying an Ozone Zeolite 2 and his Sublite in just four days and nine hours. Following him was Argentina’s Nicolas Hayes, who took second place flying an Ozone Zeolite 2 GT paired with an Ozone F*Race 2 harness, finishing in six days and twelve hours. South African pilot Ben Hodgson completed the podium in third place, also flying a Zeolite 2, with a time of eight days and six hours.

The field featured a strong international presence, with pilots from the United States, Colombia, and Switzerland navigating rural communities and mountainous terrain alongside local competitors.

The hike and fly format offered a unique way to experience Espírito Santo, stepping away from established flying sites and predefined tasks to embrace raw exploration and strategic route planning. With plans already underway for a new route in 2027, the event continues to solidify Brazil’s place on the international hike and fly map.

Official results at https://civlcomps.org/event/transcapixaba-hike-and-fly3/results

Congrats to all the pilots and cheers from all the Ozone team!

Photos courtesy of Arthur Oliveira / Transcapixaba Hike and Fly / Gabriel Jansen Rabello

BAPTISTE LAMBERT AND ALEXIA FISCHER WIN PARAGLIDING WORLD CUP GEMONA 2026

The Paragliding World Cup returned to Gemona, Italy, from 25th July to 1st August 2026, delivering a week of tactical racing across alpine terrain and the Friuli plains. After a weather-interrupted start, the competition unfolded over six valid tasks, pushing pilots through long ridge runs and demanding valley crossings in conditions ranging from weak lift to powerful mountain thermals.

In the end, Baptiste Lambert and Alexia Fischer claimed the overall titles.

With the opening task cancelled due to incoming rain, the field had to adapt quickly to shifting conditions throughout the week. Early racing demanded immense patience during technical valley crossings, with Lambert noting climbs averaging “as weak as 0.2 m/s” to stay airborne.

The rest of the tasks challenged pilots with tricky airspace navigation and busy transitions, where lower cloudbase turned the racing into fast, full-speed-bar ridge runs. The competition ended on a high note in the final task, as powerful mountain thermals reaching “up to 6 m/s” enabled the lead group to complete the 70 km course at an average speed of nearly 47 km/h.

Martin Jovanovski and Roger Aeschbacher joined Lambert on the overall podium in second and third place.
In the women’s ranking, Fischer was joined by Elisa Deutschmann and Violeta Jiménez to complete the podium.

The top finishers all flew the Ozone Enzo 3 and Submarine harness.
Team Ozone also topped the overall team rankings, rounding off a highly successful event.

Final results at https://pwca.org/events/2026-paragliding-world-cup-italy-gemona-2026

Congrats to all the pilots and cheers from all the Ozone team!

Photos courtesy of Martin Scheel Martin Scheel
and Anca Tabara

Sunset meditations above Lake Ohrid on the Delta 5
With Martin Jovanoski

📸 Borjan Jovanoski