Yes, the
typically weak balloon puns cannot be avoided especially as the Heritage Inn
Hotel’s 2013 Canadian Hot Air Balloon Championships move to High River, AB next week. It was a great
relief to me and surely others closer to the event that it will go ahead after
the terrible floods that have marked the summer of 2013 in Southern Alberta and
in High River in particular. But I’ll
get back to that in a second. First,
let’s preview the contest!
Fifteen
pilots have registered to compete in what is becoming a biannual event. Aside from reigning champion Jason Adams, all
others are from the West, meaning that the large balloon communities in Ontario
and Quebec (even though they aren’t competitive) remain poorly
represented. Still, a good number of
previous Canadian champions are in the field and the competition for Canada’s
two spots at next year’s World Championships in Sao Carlo, Brazil will be
intense.
I expect Adams
to lead the pack as he did in Camrose in 2011.
Disappointed by his finish at last year’s Worlds in Michigan, he has
worked tirelessly to sharpen his competition skills and has been throwing
markers out across the Serengeti. He
won’t be alone at the top as I expect Dale Ritchie, David Gleed and Del Michaud
will also have very competitive scores.
I’ve heard many people call Dale Ritchie Canada’s best ever flyer and
his international experience somehow always have him hovering around the
target. Michaud and Gleed are also
serious about competition and have honourably represented Canada on the
international scene in the past. Others,
like Richard Clark, are just happy to see the target field. A new generation of
pilots, featuring Cliff Skocdopole and Brant Leatherdale, means that the
lessons Canada has been learning won’t be lost through time.
The event
director is Gary Lockyer whose experience and preference for cutting-edge
competition technology mean that competitors will be taking part in a truly
world-class event. Using SMS to transmit
information to pilots should help lessen the learning curve for pilots who take
part in international competitions. This
author will be reading the theodolite and is looking forward to the early
wakeups.
An
interesting part of Canada’s national championship – aside from the poor
Eastern representation (it would be easier if it wasn’t so far!) – is that it
is truly Canadian. Whereas other
national championships around the world occasionally feature pilots from other
countries who want to practice, the Committee voted this year to only let
Canadians in the competition department.
It appears as though a number of international pilots, from Europe in
particular, would have been interested in participating. Seeing as the timing of the event is
favourable to pilots wanting to go to Albuquerque afterwards, letting them
enter could be interesting in the future.
As mentioned, though, the real winners are the
residents of High River. Already, they
should have their heads up high because of the courage and patience they have
displayed since the floods. For a few
days in late September, they will be able to crane their necks even higher as
they watch the colourful balloons above them and we get to admire the skill of
many of Canada’s best pilots. See you
there! http://www.canadianhotairballoonchampionships.com/home-1.html
