Sharp-eyed teens find stolen paragliding gear

A HAWK-EYED teenager and his sister have put the wind back in the sails of a Masterton paraglider after stumbling upon his stolen gear on Wednesday. Miro Street residents Ben and Natalie Colville, pictured, returned the paraglider to an "absolutely rapt" Mike Christiansen after their father remembered reading about the theft a week earlier and put two and two together. Ben, 13, said he and his sister made the discovery while on an afternoon bike ride along Gordon Street.

"I was biking about 20m in front of my sister when I spotted an orange object in the long grass.  I yelled out to Natalie and she came over, she even said it looked like it might be a parachute. They had biked the same way the day before, he said, but had not seen anything then, leading them to believe it had been dumped overnight.

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Athlete registration for one of the world’s most spectacular adventure races is still open, but only for another three weeks.

So far a record number of racers and supporters have registered for the 2007 edition of the Red Bull X-Alps but organisers are still on the hunt for more competitors.

Registration closes on January 31^st, 2007 and despite having a reputation as one of the toughest events of all time, athletes from nearly 20 different nations and five continents have entered.

Potential entrants can register at www.redbullxalps.com or contact Claudia Koller at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Organisers have also confirmed the precise start of the 2007 race as the Krippenstein, which is part of the Dachstein Alpine range in Austria, on July 23^rd, 2007.  Competitors will then face an 850km journey through the Alps before finishing in Monaco.

Once you have left the training hill behind you it is normal to yearn for that little bit extra – more performance, crisper handling, and sexier looks. But you still need to progress in safety, and many pilots choose to remain within the DHV 1 category. UP has built the Ascent for these pilots! With the safety of the Kuna but the performance and agility to match the DHV 1-2 category, this could well be the only wing you’ll ever need.While the UP Kuna is something of a workhorse, the Ascent is better likened to a playful thoroughbred. Livelier, faster, lighter and with a modern look, this wing has it all to become your trusted companion for the progress from beginner to accomplished thermalling pilot. After all, paragliding is all about having FUN!

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