Paragliders take to Lohan Hill, Sabah

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is fast becoming a preferred destination for paragliding enthusiasts.

The Paragliding Accuracy World Cup (PGAWC) was held for the second year at Lohan Hill in Sabah’s hilly Ranau district, about 100km from here, and paragliding pilots as well as technical staff agreed the state had what it takes to be a top venue for the sport.

Favourable wind conditions and easy access make Lohan Hill an ideal spot for paragliding, said PGAWC chief judge Andika Mountnear. He said paragliders who completed the circuit in Ranau fancy the hill, which is situated along Sabah’s Crocker Range, adding they were relieved the recently-concluded PGAWC was a success.

Flying high: A paraglider in action at Lohan Hill, Ranau, Sabah.

“The PGAWC circuit’s first venue in Puncak, Indonesia was cancelled due to poor wind conditions earlier this month,” Mountnear said adding that Sabah became the first venue run up to the superfinals as a result. He hoped the sport, which was relatively new to Malaysia but widely accepted in Western countries, would continue to grow in the country, saying strong support was needed from the Government as well as the private sector.

After the competing in Sabah, the paragliders will make their way to Montenegro, Albania, China, Germany and finally to Austria for the superfinals. Hundreds of paragliding pilots compete in the PGAWC, sanctioned by world governing body in aviation sports Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI), every year. The event in Ranau was sanctioned by the Malaysia Sports Aviation Federation, with Lohan Hill expected to host the FAI Asian Paragliding Championship in 2014.

-thestar online.

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