VietNamNet Bridge – Twenty-five pilots will participate in the International Parasailing Competition, which will be held from May 23 to 27 in the central city of Danang.



They include three French, one Polish, one American and 20 Japanese pilots, who will compete in four events: speed flying, point-counting flying, team flying and rescue flying.

Among them are famous names of the parasailing world, including Japanese champions like Ryoya Igarashi, 56, who was the champion in 2003, 2005 and 2009 and Nobuo Sekiguchi – the Japanese champion in 2000 and 2004.

Other renowned names include Didier Eymin from France who flew through the Sahara desert in 1988 and Emilia Plak, from Poland, the champion of the international gliding competition held in the Czech Republic in 2009.

After five days of the contest starting on May 23, organisers will present three awards. The winner will receive US$10,000, the first runner up will get one parachuting engine worth $3,000 and the second runner up will receive a height measuring kit worth $1,000.

At the event, visitors can fly with international athletes for VND1.3 million ($65) per flight, and enjoy other activities such as a culinary garden, a drinking garden and areas to showcase Danang traditional handicrafts, and tourism products and services.

The organizing board says that the competition is held to strengthen Vietnam-Japan relationship, to draw tourists to Da Nang and to advertise Da Nang as a city of tourism and festivals.

The total funding for this event is VND15 billion ($750,000), raised from non-State sources, said Than Ngoc Hai Cat, director of Cati, the event organizer.

The major competition area will be a region with a radius of 100km and ceiling height of 170km above My Khe beach.

Meanwhile the area for speed flying will be a rectangular space measuring 9km by 1.5km with ceiling height of 300m which stretches from the northernmost point of the major competing area to Ngu Hanh Son Mountain.



Le Ha