WHITWELL, Tenn. - Five pilots gathered along the ridge atop Whitwell Mountain late Wednesday morning to set the course for the day's competition. Competitors sprinkled the ridgeside, preparing equipment and overlooking the valley they soon would soar across for the fourth day of the Sequatchie Valley's inaugural paragliding competition.
The route and tasks would be set in the final hours before takeoff. Event directors monitored wind strength and direction before setting the day's objectives. Pilots would later soar about 35 kilometers (roughly 22 miles) back and forth along the ridge as quickly as possibly. The 14 men and one woman competing in the weeklong Hurricane Open were making local history. The competition was the first in the valley and one of the few in the Eastern U.S.
"I love it, I love the area," said 60-year-old pilot Jeff Sinason, who moved to the area in December for better paragliding opportunities. "Our nickname for this valley is the Magic Valley, and it truly is magical."
The competitors were a blend of local, national and international pilots. Some had been flying through the valley for years, while others were coming for the first time. One competitor was a New Zealand special forces officer who made a side trip after attending a wedding in Nashville. Another was a local tandem instructor seeking asylum from Venezuela.
The lone female competitor for the week was Pennsylvania resident Andria Lea. Lea learned to fly in the Sequatchie Valley two years ago and quickly progressed to competition flying. This week marks her fifth competition this year.
"This is the first time I've been able to compete at my home site," she said. "I think it's awesome we're having it here. It's a perfect place."
Paragliding is relatively new to the Eastern U.S. The tree-lined ridges through the Appalachian Mountains proved troublesome for the sport, but as the technology and gear improved, pilots moved east over the last decade for those ridges that provide predictable winds and steady flow during hurricane season.
"We hope to have this annual event for the next 10 years in this location," event director David Hanning said. "Whitwell as a primary [site] in September is favored because of the hurricane conditions creating ideal weather. The last four days have been phenomenal."
Paragliding has been slow to grow in the Chattanooga area due to the success of hang gliding, Hanning said, but he has plans to turn the region into a paragliding destination. Hanning will file a bid after this week for a U.S. championships competition and eventually wants to bring a Paragliding World Cup event to the Sequatchie Valley.
If it becomes a national championships event, it would be the first in the mountains of the Eastern U.S. and could bring up to 100 competitors.
Hanning and fellow pilot Rick Jacob - who owns the land where the competition is being held - believe the competition is a major step in their attempt to make the Sequatchie Valley a significant site for paragliding. Jacob is building a model home on the ridgeside property next to the launch. He envisions a paragliding community where pilots can come stay during their visits. He hopes to retire on the property and believes competitions will be key in growing the reputation of the valley's flying community.
"I think it's a huge benefit for the Sequatchie Valley," he said. "This is my home, and Whitwell is becoming more and more special to me. I want to bring these pilots in and become a major flying site in the U.S. Anytime we pull out a major competition like this, it means publicity."
Contact staff writer Mark Pace at mpace@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6659. Follow him on Twitter @themarkpace and on Facebook at ChattanoogaOutdoorsTFP.