Rat Race “Field of Dreams” June 17-23

Paul Murdoch Launches off WoodRat Mtn

LIVE FEED: 12-3: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/rat-race-2012

The novel, Shoeless Joe by W. P. Kinsella written in 1982 was adapted for the 1989 movie, “Field of Dreams” and recalled America’s history and love for baseball through one man’s single-minded vision.

At about that same time, the sport of paragliding burst onto the American scene.  Since then, an obsessed group of pilots has built their own “field of dreams” in the Applegate Valley.  And like Kevin Costner’s character Ray Kinsella experienced, most in his small (Iowa) town thought he just may have lost his marbles, as well as his farm as he plowed under his corn crop to build his “field of dreams.”

In the movie, “the voice” tells Ray, “If you build it, he will come.”  Well, what are you waiting for?  Consider this your voice!  On June 17-23 you are invited to our “field of dreams!”

For only the third time in history, the U. S. National Paragliding Championships will be held in Oregon.  This time, just outside of our “Small town with Big Atmosphere,” 200 pilots from all over the U. S. will be descending (no pun intended!) on the Applegate Valley to compete for the title of National Champion and earn points towards the US World Team.  To those ends, pilots will compete each day from Woodrat Mountain to various landing fields (our own “fields of dreams”) from Grants Pass to Ashland.

Pilots race each other in the skies overhead, often within chatting distances from each other, often in view of spectators on the ground.  But you have to know where to look for them –  sometimes  they are over 10,000 feet above sea level.  So, this year we have the technologies in place to help you find the skyward pilots like never before!

Using the latest Wi-Fi gizmos, a few of our savviest pilot- geniuses have developed a system of live video feeds from the mountain top launches, using pilot “head-cams,” and Google Earth/SPOT tracking software bundled together to beam live-feed streaming video on to big screens and existing web-based services.

We’ve dubbed this the “Rat Race Cam,” and have made it available to all Applegate winery tasting locations as well as local businesses in Jacksonville like the Bella Union, the Schoolhaus Brewhaus (at Bigham Knoll) and Boom Town Saloon.  The public can choose to watch the action at these locations or at sites along the race routes.  Participating wineries are all located in the Applegate.  The four closest to Woodrat Mountain are Fiasco, Valley View, Fly High/Longswrod and Red Lily – all have joined with the meet organizer MPH Sports to provide viewing sites for the public.  Each of these wineries will have direct viewing of the pilots and their wings while in the air, as well as video feeds of the launches, pilot cameras, and Google Earth/SPOT tracking of the racing pilots on the daily race courses.

Inside Fiasco Winery's Tasting Room

A charity fundraising dinner to benefit the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the Rogue Valley Medical Center and the Magdalene House for young mothers will be held at 6pm at Fiasco Winery in the Applegate Valley on June 17^th.  The public is cordially invited to attend, meet the pilots and learn what thier dreams are made of!  Admission/donation is $20 for a great meal hosted by MPH Sports, the Rogue Valley Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association and Fiasco Winery.

The Woodrat Mountain top launch site is a BLM hang gliding and paragliding designated site and for this event public access will be limited.  Guided tour vehicles are only available from Fiasco Winery for the public and daily departures for the 4 hour guided tour depart at 11am.  Lunches will be provided with the shuttle for $25.

For more information and other opportunities to join us, meet the pilots and even sign up for a tandem flight visit FiascoWinery.com or Eventbrite website:

http://usnationalparaglidingchampionships.eventbrite.com/