Salzburg/ Austria/ Red Bull Paper Wings World Finals 2012

A4 Artistry at Red Bull Paper Wings

Paper airplane enthusiasts from 83 countries gathered in Salzburg this weekend for aerial combat of the peaceful variety at the Red Bull Paper Wings World Finals 2012. Up for grabs in the city’s famous Hangar-7 were world championship titles in the disciplines Longest Airtime, Longest Distance and Aerobatics. Victory went to the high flyers from the Czech Republic, the United States, Poland, and Lebanon.

SALZBURG (Austria). Following the hugely successful events in 2006 and 2009, Salzburg once again the world’s best paper plane flyers this weekend for two days of intense folding, flinging and flying at the Red Bull Paper Wings World Finals 2012. Only the best of the best from an incredible 37,125 competitors who had taken part in over 634 Qualiflyers around the globe were invited to the cavernous halls of Hangar-7 to battle it out for three world championship titles.

In the category Longest Distance, Tomas Beck from the Czech Republic managed to hold off a strong field to claim victory with a huge throw of 50.37 metres. Second place went to Bosnia Herzegovina’s Almir Kišija, with 2009 world champion Jovica Kozlica (CRO) completing the podium.

Lebanon’s Elie Chemaly took top spot in the Longest Airtime discipline as he impressed the large crowd with 10.68 seconds of hangtime – still some way short of the current world record, which stands at over 25 seconds!

One of the toughest jobs of the day fell to the panel responsible for judging the Aerobatics category, headed by three-time Olympic champion ski jumper Thomas Morgenstern. The five judges ended up awarding the maximum 50 points to not one but two competitors, meaning that America’s Ryan Naccarato and Poland’s Tomasz Chodryra had to share the top of the podium. Victory in the Team Event went to the high flyers from Team Turkey, whose three team members all finished in the top ten in their respective categories.

Results: Airtime:1. Elie Chemaly (LIB), 2. Goekhan Emiroglu (TUR), 3. Robi Fiser (SLO); Aerobatics: 1. Tomasz Chodryra (POL), 1. Ryan Naccarato (USA), 3. Alfredo Ramirez (MEX); Distance: 1. Tomas Beck (CZE), 2. Almir Kisija (BOS), Jovica Kozlica (CRO); Team: 1. Turkey.