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NOVA Media Contest 2009: Winners announced
A total of 474 photos and 56 video clips have been submitted to NOVA’s Media Contest 2009. At this year’s Free Flight trade fair near Tegelberg, NOVA announced the winning photos and videos. For a magnificent aerial image of coastal soaring in Myponga (Southern Australia) Kym Fielke wins a new NOVA wing of his choice. A lightweight reversible harness NOVA One goes to Michi Feldmann who ame second with a soaring shot from Lanzarote (Canary Islands). A video of the NOVA IBEX Hike & Fly in Snowdonia (Wales) brought Steve Nash a paragliding tour of his choice with Flight Connection Arlberg. Additionally, Ramlan Hamid and John Campen received the jury’s special award (two NOVA One reversible harnesses) for their video „Advanced Paragliding Manoeuvres – Maninjau (Sumatra)“, a hilarious clip of a spontaneous SIV course on the ground.
The judges were Norbert Apprissnig (chief editor of “Thermik” magazine), Toni Bender (NOVA test pilot with plenty of movie and photo experience), Hannes Papesh (NOVA designer), Wolfi Lechner (chief executive at NOVA) and Till Gottbrath (journalist, photographer and PR executive for NOVA). “First of all I would like to thank all the contestants,“ says Wolfi Lechner, “we didn’t expect so many submissions. Screening the material was great fun – and most important – it whetted our appetite for flying. Many photos made me think: ‘fantastic, I wanna fly there!’ So it was a pretty tough choice and we discussed a lot…
We would like to introduce the pictures and videos, which we liked best:
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1.) "And the Cliffs Marched On" from Kym Fielke
Geordie Haig enjoying a beautiful mid-winter coastal day flying his Ibex 15 at Myponga, South Australia
Not only is it a unique location with its red earth and the green grassy hills. Also, the picture’s light, its layout, the depth, and the second wing on the horizon.
It’s really harmonious and a worthy overall winner!
(Prize: NOVA Wing of choice)
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2.) "Catch me if you can" from Michi Feldmann
Soaring-Fun at Lanzarote
Actually just a snapshot – but a pretty damn good one! These guys are simply having a good time and you can see that in the photo.
(Prize: Harness NOVA ONE)
3.) Video: "NOVA IBEX Hike & Fly in Snowdonia, UK" from Steve Nash
Steve is a NOVA Team Pilot, but that was no reason he came third. His video is from the Hike & Fly weekend in Wales and it shows that in a very charming way. This short film has an end-to-end strand and brings wonderful air images. The messages: Flying is good fun and it was a bunch of really nice folks.
(Prize: Journey with Flight Connection Arlberg)
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4.) "Nice Weather to Fly" from Zhao Zhen
Groundhandling in Castelluccio
“These guys must be out of their minds going paragliding in Castelluccio in the winter….“ That’s what the dog might think. A snapshot that tells a fun story and has a good picture composition.
(Prize: GPS Garmin GPSmap 60CSx)
5.) Video "Shockwave Dyna du Pyla" from Nicolas Assaei
One of those videos without real strand – but also the one we liked best. Additionally, it comes with funny didgeridoo rock music and shows the extreme dynamic of the 12 sqm Shockwave wing.
(Prize: Boots Hanwag Sky GTX)
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6.) "Desert Pampa del Leoncito" from Federico Tessio
This black-and-white pic shows off the fissures in the dried-out dessert’s ground, which is a pretty unusual spot for paragliding. Using a wide-angle lens causes the feeling that one could easily get lost here.
(Prize: Vario Bräuniger IQ Sonic)
7.) "Vortex Soaring" from Paul Guschlbauer
Another NOVA Team Pilot and actually a video like many others: wing, dynamic, air. What makes it special is, how it was filmed with a helmet camera and camera on the ground. We also liked the well-done cuts between helmet and ground camera.
(Prize: Helmet Charly Breeze)
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8.) "Am Schicksalsberg beim Aufziehen" from Peter Kohlhepp
Using the last light of the day to play with the ROOKIE
Looks a bit too much like Photoshop, but is really likeable with its atmosphere, composition, and sunset-light in the canopy.
(Prize: Helmet Charly Breeze)
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Great Fun on La Palma with the Triton
We like this one not only because of the exotic setting but also because of its colours, dynamic and composition.
(Prize: Helmet Charly Breeze)
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10.) "Ararat Winter 2" from Nicholas Bruno
Nova RA - Dec 2007 - Launch from Mt. Hadis (Armenia) with Mt. Ararat (Turkey) in the background
Amazing layout and atmosphere! You can feel how the pilot must have been freezing at this moment – but still you would like to be him…
(Prize: Set of CRAFT Sports Underwear)
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11.) "Wintertraum" from Rene Rayman
Rookie kurz vor Dem Start auf der Rigi-Scheidegg
Even if its pretty symmetric composition is not the best, this photo still shows coldness and passion at the same time. Also, the red-white wing matches nicely with the white winter landscape.
12.) Video: "My new wing" from Michael Endacott
Usually we don’t like any attention-seeking style, which in this picture with its sharp contrasts and over-saturated colours is the case. But somehow in this one they pulled it off with an artistic twist.
(Prize: Set of CRAFT Sports Underwear)
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13.) "Before a top-landing" from Dorin Paslaru
Paragliding in Siria (Rumania)
Actually, it’s just a wing in front of the blue sky. But the rare shape of the clouds, the red wing with the matching helmet, and the nice composition make this an extraordinary photo.
(Prize: Set of CRAFT Sports Underwear)
14.) Video: "Family Tandem – The Movie" from David Bengtsson
The recording may not be technically perfect and for a NOVA media contest, there are too many wings of other manufacturers in the video. But it’s just nice to watch and makes you feel the joy of flying and being with the family!
(Prize: Set of CRAFT Sports Underwear)
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15.) "Ra in Northern Norway" from Trond Abrahamsen
First flight with the new wing
Das Bild war nicht ganz unumstritten und lebt stark von der ungewöhnlichen Szenerie. Man hätte aber noch mehr rausholen können.
(Prize: Set of CRAFT Sports Underwear)
Jury Spezial Price: Video: "Advanced Paragliding Manoeuvres" from Ramlan Hamid with „chief character“ John Campen
This video would have been the winner if the tender hadn’t said a NOVA wing should play the lead in the video or photo. It was made during the annual pilots’ meeting at Lake Maninjau on Sumatra (Indonesia). Comedy talent John Campen makes the spontaneous SIV course at the launch site”. What a funny video!
(Prize: 2 Harnesses NOVA One)
See all the pictures and videos, that we got, in the list below:
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