When the organizers of the Rat Race announced that 2017 would be their last year producing the competition, a group of local Rogue Valley Hang Gliding and Paragliding (RVHPA) pilots got together to look at the feasibility of continuing the event. We knew it was going to be a huge undertaking, but with the outpouring of support from the international paragliding community and the local Applegate community, we have been inspired to create a new competition that will not only uphold the high standards set by the Rat Race but also bring new life to the event as a whole.
We feel very fortunate that nearly all of the key team members who made the events at Woodrat a success over the past 15 years have been recruited and will be collaborating with us on the very first Applegate Open.
This being the first year the local club will produce the competition, there are many start-up expenses and investments that need to be made in order to make this an outstanding competition that we can all enjoy for years to come. We plan on opening the books and sharing our expenses with everyone who has entered and hopefully we can cut expenses and registration fees more in succeeding years.
We are happy to announce that LongSword Vineyard has agreed to host the new competition headquarters. As the primary landing zone and longtime supporter of the local paragliding community, we feel this collaboration is a natural evolution of our existing relationship and will provide a fantastic overall experience for everyone involved.
We look forward to welcoming you all back to our valley.
Dan Wells
Event Organizer
Rogue Valley Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association
pdx.dbw@gmail.com +1 503 804 1077