The first festival was held in the Summer of 2002 - 2003. The Festival was designed to coincide with the normal summer holiday period at one of New Zealand’s prime tourist and paragliding destinations.

Roger North, a then recent new resident, felt that the New Zealand paragliding competition scene was not catering well for all the levels of skill and commitment that existed within the New Zealand paragliding community. Roger set about designing and successfully promoting a format that suited not only the novice competition pilot yet still challenging the most experienced and seasoned WC pilots.

The festival nature of the event was structured to provide formal guidance and mentoring to those pilots who sought it and promoted seminars that covered the essential aspects of our sport. (safety in the air, thermalling, cross country, speed to fly, ground handling, weather etc.).

As a tribute to its success the numbers have grown each year plus a large group of those first year novice pilots return each year to renew their friendships and extend their flying horizons. For some it is their only yearly competition whilst others have become seasoned performers on the competition calendar.

Over the subsequent years the format has been modified, as required, to fit in with the New Zealand paragliding calendar but always the spirit has remained the same.

The very professional approach undertaken that first year was a trend setter for subsequent years and the benchmark for the other New Zealand leagues. Over the years the organizing team has rotated their duties  and endeavored to continue the festival theme.

The weather has always been kind from an flying time perspective with many New Zealand records being formed and then broken the next year. 

Let us hope the format for this year lives up to the expected high standards and the weather gods make it the best one yet.