Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Honza flies past Brit for X-Alps bronze

12 great days through the Alps for Rejmanek


By JEFF CORDES
Express Staff Writer

Chuck Smith and his pilots and employees at Fly Sun Valley paragliding service threw a celebratory barbecue Friday night for one of their own—Honza Rejmanek, the Czech-born pilot who achieved something special last week.

Rejmanek, 34, used all his piloting ability and stamina to complete the world's toughest and longest hike and paraglide endurance race—the X-Alps on a mountainous 818-kilometer (507-mile) course in Europe.

The only American in the 30-pilot field, Rejmanek didn't go the entire 818k distance from Salzburg, Austria to Monaco. But he did outduel 35-year-old Aidan Toase of London, England for third place, both finishing 672k or 416.6 miles.

Rejmanek, from Davis, Ca., hiked, ran and flew his Axis Mercury '09 glider through the Alps for 12 days until the race was officially ended Friday, July 31 at 11:24 p.m. That time, by race regulations, was exactly 48 hours after the arrival of the winning pilot in Monaco.

According to his European ground support and friend of seven years Dave Hanning, 39, of Ketchum, Rejmanek remained focused and strong during the challenging 12-day test.

Fly Sun Valley's Smith said he talked to Honza the day before the race ended, and, "I've never heard Honza so fired up. He was huffing and puffing but, really, this race was the perfect combination calling for all his piloting skills and stamina."

Only 18 athletes finished and 12 withdrew from what is called the most audacious adventure race in the world. Just two made it all the way for the entire 507 miles to Monaco.

The winner in his first X-Alps race was 2007 Paragliding World Cup king Christian Maurer, 26, of Leissigen, Switzerland in a blistering 9 days, 23 hours and 54 minutes for 818k. He made it impossible for mere mortals to catch up.

His chief "mere mortal" competition was second-place Swiss native Alex Hofer, 32, of China in 11 days, 9 hours and 18 minutes for 818k. Hofer, the 2003 paragliding world champion, was the two time defending X-Alps champion, having won in both 2005 and 2007.

Behind Maurer and Hofer was a true "horse race" between Rejmanek, Toase and fifth-place Evgeny Gryaznov, 36, of St. Petersburg, Russia. It was back and forth the final 48 hours, Rejmanek battling an injured heel but still putting together a monster 100k flight southeast through the southern Alps July 30 to nail down third.

Rejmanek and Toase also waged a sportsmanlike duel—flying together when possible and phoning each other for encouragement over the next peak. It was Rejmanek's second X-Alps (9th 2007), and Toase's third time out (6th in 2007).

The rules of the adventure race were simple—fly or hike carrying your glider around set turn points all the way across the Alps. A graduate student in meteorology, 16-year pilot Rejmanek was joined after the race by his wife Barbora and their six-month-old son Martin, who apparently was contemplating strategy for 2039 X-Alps.




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