Top stop of the Hike & Fly Trophy in the Stubai Valley

Updated on 04.09.2023

Under the motto "Find your Path", the Wanderbird team, led by Aaron Durogati and Paul Guschlbauer, hosted the Wanderbird Hike & Fly Trophy in the beautiful Stubai Valley from 2 to 3 September 2023. With an impressive international field of 120 registered pilots and a great atmosphere, the unique event concept was presented in Neustift. The event was accompanied by the best weather and offered a fascinating supporting programme that was an enrichment not only for competitors but for everyone.

The Wanderbird Hike & Fly Trophies consist of the exciting categories FUN, TOUR and HERO. Each category offers its own challenge and allows athletes to improve their skills and achieve their personal goals. The race started at the Parafly flying school in Neustift and led to the first turning point at Elferhütte. The route continued along the opposite side of the valley to the Sennjochhütte. To successfully pass a turnpoint, participants must take a 'selfie' with the turnpoint sign, which must then be sent to the race organisers. Finally, they reached the finish back at the starting point and so one lap of the Fun category was 23 kilometres. The TOUR category had to reach another turnpoint 'Hühnerspiel' and therefore covered a total distance of 31.5 km. The participants in the HERO category had to complete the loop twice, which meant that the professionals also got their money's worth with a distance of over 60 kilometres.

The fascinating thing about the Hike & Fly Trophy is not only the alpine route itself, but also the opportunity to compete in one of the three different categories with different requirements. Athletes in the FUN category are allowed to use cable cars as an ascent aid, while this is not permitted for participants in the TOUR and HERO categories.

To give both the enthusiastic spectators on site and those at home the feeling of being there live with the athletes, the race could be followed in real time via Burnair Map's live tracking. Spectators were also kept up to date with regular social media updates from the participants. As a local supporting programme, DJ Andrea created a pleasant atmosphere with relaxed music, while Daniela from Unbound offered great coffee specialities with a coffee bike. Further delicacies were provided by our catering team throughout the event weekend.

An "After Race Party" in the village square of Neustift, where the band Janka provided a great atmosphere, rounded off the exciting day perfectly. The winners of the day were rewarded with over €5,000 in prize money and additional gifts. The prizes were presented by Mayor Andreas Gleirscher, the Stubai Tourism Association, represented by Roland Volderauer and Herbert Hofer, as well as Andreas Mantl and Thomas Maier from the Raiffeisenbanken Stubaital Wipptal. This award is intended to emphasise the appreciation for participation in this challenging competition and to promote the professionalisation of the sport of Hike & Fly in the long term.

The complete results are available on the website at www.hikeandflytrophy.com.