Cross Country is the world’s leading voice for hang gliding, paragliding and paramotoring pilots. Ten times a year, our magazine content reflects our obsession with flying, and we express it by packing each issue with the most imaginative, inspirational photography and writing we can lay our hands on.
THE TRAVELLER’S TALE
CONTRIBUTORS
Cross Country
Gallery
NEED TO KNOW • News and insight from around the free-flying world
WHAT’S ON
HONO HAMARD WINS SUPER FINAL 2022
RECORDS RUMBLE
WINNING SUBMARINES
GET READY FOR: SPORTS CLASS
NAKED PILOTS KUBI & LUKI JACISIN
LA NIÑA’S ‘TRIPLE DIP’
FOREPLAY, IN SANTA BARBARA
BACK IN THE DAY
TRAVEL 2023 • Helping you fly better with expert advice and know-how
AFTERGLOW • Winter blues? Don’t worry, the sun is coming. Photographer Jérôme Maupoint reflects on one beautiful day last summer
NAILING THE BASICS OF ACTIVE FLYING • Greg Hamerton has been flying and teaching for 30 years. He is an instructor, reviewer and filmmaker. This year he competed in the X-Pyr again. He runs the Online Flight Academy for progressing pilots at flywithgreg.com
HOW TO PLAN YOUR FIRST BIVVY TRIP • Tom de Dorlodot shares his best tips for your first vol-bivouac adventure
HOW TO RACK UP HOURS IN EUROPE • Théo de Blic lives in Chambéry, France and has been flying paragliders solo since he was 12. He has won synchro gold in the FAI World Air Games, synchro silver at the Acro World Championships and is a five-time Acro World Cup champion. He competed in the Red Bull X-Alps in 2021
STAYING FIT ON THE ROAD
‘IT TOOK ALL MY LUCK TO STAY ALIVE’ • Nick Neynens has flown paragliders in New Zealand since 2007, and has competed in four Red Bull X-Alps (2015, 2017, 2019 and 2021). He’s lived and worked in Australia as an engineer and aviation meteorologist. Got a weather-related question for him? Email him via editor@xcmag.com
SATELLITE EYE • Looking down at the Earth below from the sky above
WHEN VANLIFE IS THE RIGHT LIFE • Liz Dengler is the editor of the United States Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association magazine Pilot. Find her at instagram.com/liz.dengler
Dominican light • Given a cold winter at home or an adventure in the Dominican Republic photographer Adi Geisegger headed straight for the sunshine and thermals of this country in the Caribbean Sea
INCREDIBLE ADVENTURES • The free-flight world is full of amazing experiences, from flying well-known hotspots with the local guru to discovering rarely-visited gems only flown by those in the know. Here are 15 amazing trips to put on your bucket list for 2023 and beyond
CONVERGENCE ZONE • The landscape of Cape Verde ranges from desert-dry coastal plains to tropical volcanoes. Emi Carvalho explains why he loves this “hidden gem” while photographer Konrad Borkowski captures the flying life on these Atlantic islands. Words: Bastienne Wentzel
THE FOG OF DREAMS • Bastian Brüsecke and Christine Zech set out to explore Bosnia and Herzegovina by 4-x-4 and paramotor and discover a country that welcomes pilots, but still suffers from the legacy of war some 30 years ago. Word and photos: Bastian Brüsecke
KITLIST • All the latest reviews, gear and technology for free flying
New Products
IN BRIEF
IN BRIEF
IN BRIEF
DUDEK RUN&FLY 2 • The “lightest wing in the world” has had an upgrade. Marcus King takes it for a hike-and-fly
MAC PARA ARAVIS • Marcus and Charlie King share the fun on this lightweight but performant EN A
CHOOSING A WING FOR YOUR TRAVEL ADVENTURE • Unless you're travelling for comps you will want to minimise your gear when on the road, especially if you plan to...