Just outside of Jacksonville in the Applegate Valley, the mountains and climate converge to create something truly unique: some of the best conditions for paragliding in North America, if not the entire world. Paragliding is an aerial sport in which pilots launch into the air from mountaintops and navigate the skies under brightly-colored, parachute-like wings. This June, over 130 pilots will gather in the Applegate Valley for the first ever Applegate Open Paragliding Competition, produced by the local paragliding club (RVHPA) and hosted by LongSword Vineyard.
Although this summer marks the inaugural year of the Applegate Open, paragliding has been a fixture in the valley for decades, and this is far from the first paragliding competition that has taken place here. For the last 15 years, paraglider pilots from around the world have gathered in the Applegate Valley to compete in the “Rat Race.” Over the course of a decade and a half, the event’s organizers, Mike & Gail Haley, grew the Rat Race into a prestigious competition and a beloved tradition. When they announced that 2017 would be their last year producing the Rat Race, the local paragliding club decided to step in to keep the tradition alive with a new competition—the Applegate Open.
The Applegate Open will take place June 9-16 and will be a seven-day, race-to-goal competition. This means every morning, the pilots will receive an aerial course of GPS coordinates and a landing zone goal. They will fly the course as quickly as possible and try to land at the designated goal. Pilots are awarded points based on their time-to-goal and distance traveled around the course; at the end of the competition, the pilots with the most points wins! Spectators interested in viewing the competition (and enjoying some wine!) are welcome at LongSword Vineyard during business hours of noon-5:00pm every day of the competition. LongSword will serve as the landing zone for both Saturdays of the event and will be hosting a “Launch” party on Saturday, June 9th from noon-5:00pm and a “Landing” party on Saturday, June 16 from noon-5:00pm. Both events are open to the public and will feature live music, food trucks, wine, and dozens of pilots landing in front of the tasting room patio.
Longsword Vineyard is located at 8555 Highway 238, just a five minute drive west of downtown Jacksonville. For more information, call 541-899-1746.