PD Factory Team's, Pablo Hernandez, Wins in Lillo

So, it looks like SkydiveLillo has hosted perfectly one more year of swooping nationals. After 4 long days of long standbys, weather holds and winds over the limits, finally by Saturday 2nd of May the competition was over. That saturday definitely has been one of the most intense days in Swooping and in the Spanish skydiving history. I don´t recall that this year we have had such an important event in the skydiving panorama in this country. For the spectators it has been a delightful event to watch. If swooping is usually impressive, this competition has been specially intense. A big crowd gathered around the pond on saturday evening to experience a competition in it´s highest levels.

Now let´s start from the beginning. Saturday morning started off like one of those perfect days. So we could finish the competition we had still 4 rounds to go. One in speed, 3 in accuracy. Everything was just looking perfect, the less experienced were scoring, and the old dogs were fighting through the gates to make the highest scores. During that morning 3 rounds could be finished, the last one of speed and the first 2 of accuracy. It looked like we had the perfect day for swooping, low winds and clear blue skies. But right when we attempted to start with the final round of accuracy the downwind started to be just too strong. All competitors had to wait for long hours of standby until just before sunset with the cooling afternoon.

Before the last round, the highest positions in the scoring table were carefully kept by the favorites. Mike Vogeleer, Christian Wagner, Pablo Hernandez (PDFT), Gonzalo Sanudo, Brian Vacher (PDFT) were carefully fighting to climb on that scoring table before last round, the round that was going to decide the medals for that whole general classification.

To make it more interesting, judges decided to do reverse order for the exit. Two loads of porter were in charge of making it happen. This way, the best swoopers were being left for the very last moment, right when we were having a beautiful sunset. The winds dropped, and that made it even more special, those who were there know what I´m talking about.

Red Bull´s Hummer was pumping loud on the side of the course making that little corner of the country side in central Spain look like an olympic stadium. The crowd cheered as the swoopers were landing, and more people gathered as the last passes were coming up. Now it was time for the favorites to make the crowd roar. Mike Vogeleer, Christian Wagner and Pablo Hernandez were the last ones to land. Mike, was the first one, and he surprised everybody with an excellent score. But was it going to be enough to catch up with the next 2 swooping pirates ready to make him bite the dust? Christian Wagner just didn´t surprise anybody with a close to perfect accuracy round. Now it was all on the table. Pablo Hernandez just had to do a normal score to keep those old dogs from climbing, it was a big responsibility. But once again Pablo entered the gate, dragged the water and made it to zone 3 cleanly and saving his score, everything was put to rest cause he was the winner.

After this breathtaking final round and once the sun was completely set the party started. The drop zone offered free beer while the prize gift ceremony was taking place. A very emotional ceremony that led to a fiesta that lasted long hours.

It was an honor to have such a great level of skydivers.

We hope to see everybody next year.

Lucía Jauregui, meet director. Photos by Daniel Angulo

These are the results:

Speed:
1. Pablo Hernandez
2.Mark Rabanhi
3.Gonzalo Sanudo

Distance:
1.Mike Vogeleer
2.Pablo Hernandez
3.Christian Wagner

Accuracy:
1.Christian Wagner
2.Brian Vacher
3.Pablo Hernandez

Overall:
1.Pablo Hernandez
2.Christian Wagner
3.Mike Vogeleer

Spanish nationals:
1.Pablo Hernandez
2.Daniel Paredes
3.Pablo Rua