Finale

Post comp XC with my Litespeed S4 and Flytec 5030

www.terminalx.com.br

www.abvl.com.br

Last day, lots of tension in the air. Nenê was in the lead, but would he hold it?

Today´s task was similar to many of the others, with goal back in Andradas. Had a good start and was with the lead gaggle for the first half, until I dove for a big cloud, just in time for it to die and leave me low in the shade.

Betinho was also thinking the same thing, so we shared a similar fate. We struggled for a bit, and made it in, but much slower. Carlos won the day, and Nenê held his lead to take the comp!

It was an emotional moment when Betinho got up on stage with his young son, and announced that he would be retiring from competitions soon. The standing applause was long and deafening.

That night it was clubb´n till 5am. I had planned to sleep in, but Konrad woke me up at 9am and convinced me to go flying. The plan was to try to fly back to Rio, rally-style.

The first goal was São Lourenço, 200km to the East. With a late start and a bit of a headwind, we only made 100km, via Pouso Alegre. Flew directly over the big city low, Google-style, and checked it out, as I chased a bit of straw in the air, hunting for lift. Got low on the far side of the city, over a water park... hmmm... landing here wouldn´t be so bad, eh?

We were actually on pace, until a 40km blue hole shut us down. We limped across most of it, and one more thermal would have brought us into cloud-land again. Landed on a tiny little slope, on a 50m hill by a river. As I dove into the field, I could smell the scent of coffee blossom, and the dampness of the slow-moving river.

I was a little grumpy, still being in goal-mode, but after getting out of my harness and looking around, I realized that this whole flying thing today was pretty füken cool.

To me, life is joy and pain. This year, I have had a lot of both. I try to hold on to the joy and let go of the pain, but it aint easy.