Tajikistan’s ‘conquerors of the skies’ also rise to the winners’ pedestal

Tajikistan’s first paragliding competition was held on June 8 at the "Safedorak” ski resort 56 km from Dushanbe. While downhill skiers have set records at the resort in the winter, this summer “conquerors of the skies" competed in tests of their abilities. The competition was held under the aegis of the Committee for Youth Affairs, Sport and Tourism. “Ten entries were submitted; eight Tajik paragliders and one each from Russia and Great Britain”, announced the competition’s lead judge Igor Chesnokov.
For the competition to be held, clear weather and a light wind are essential, and the “Spirit in the Sky” did not disappoint. Competitions were held in two categories, a combination event (slalom and cross country) and landing accuracy.
Tajiks took all the prizes. In the landing accuracy events, Vladimir Babaev finished first, Vasiliy Krasnov second, and Denis Dmitriev third. In the combination event, Krasnov took first place, Evgeniy Chesnokov took second and Babaev third.
Mountain paragliding first developed in Tajikistan almost 20 years ago, and the sport is currently enjoying increasing popularity. A paraglider’s equipment includes a cupola, ribs, harness and a reserve parachute. After taking off from a hillside, a paraglider can reach altitudes up to five km and spend three to five hours in the air. “It is impossible to compare the beauty of the vistas that open up in the course of a paraglider flight with the views from the window of an aeroplane”, said competitor Dmitriev.
Tajikistan’s tourist agencies are currently offering many different forms of extreme expeditions and adventure travel, including paragliding, mountain climbing, mountain sports rafting, downhill skiing and hunting, as well as eco-tourism. Paragliding is just one of them.