Table of Contents
Event Information
Big Air. Bigger vistas. Some of the most incredible and stunning flying in the Intermountain West if not the world! 7 launches that take different wind directions stretching from Hurricane on the Arizona border to Wales and Horse Heaven near Nephi, south of Salt Lake City. HUGE XC potential through some of Utah’s most incredible natural wonders. Welcome to the Red Rocks Wide Open! This is a USHPA National Championship series AND an FAI Cat 2 sanctioned event AND Pre PWC that promises strong conditions and long tasks that take advantage of remote, tall mountain ranges and high-desert flatlands. In this 2026 edition we will have 75 slots for the Open Division (all wings up to CCC) and 45 slots for the Sport Division (EN C wings and below). A strong emphasis will be on mentoring and instruction for ALL participants. We will have daily talks with our best competition pilots before each task on strategy, goals, and breakdown competition concepts from the basic to the advanced. Guided break-away chalk talks will be provided each night that will cover track-log analysis, weather forecasts, task setting, and more. Come to fly big lines, come to learn to fly fast!
Participants should be very comfortable with flying in strong thermals at high altitudes (several take-offs are over 11,000 feet). Oxygen is highly recommended (tank refills will be available for $15 each during the comp, or $50 for unlimited fills). Garmin InReach or other satellite tracker with messaging capability is MANDATORY. The top 15 NTSS pilots will receive a $50 USD discount on the event fee. International pilots ranked in the top 400 in the WPRS will receive a $100 USD discount on the entry fee. Rankings will be as of April 1st, 2026.
Selection and Registration
Registration opens April 2nd, 2026 at 1600 GMT.
This is an FAI category 2 event. Per FAI cat 2 requirements, 25% of spots will be held for international pilots, which will be chosen by WPRS ranking. Entry fee is $625 USD. The top 15 NTSS pilots will receive a $50 USD discount on the event fee. International pilots ranked in the top 400 in the WPRS will receive a $100 USD discount on the entry fee. Rankings will be as of April 1st, 2026. Rates increase to $675 USD after the early payment period expires (5 days from “waiting for payment” status), with discounts for ranking still applied.
Minimum qualifications: P4 or International equivalent. You can expect strong conditions in Monroe, very high altitudes and at times when we fly downwind, potentially limited places to land. If you do not have a P4 or international equivalent please contact the race organization with your flying background if you feel the Red Rocks Wide Open suits your ability.
Your registration requires approval that you meet the minimum Pilot Entry Requirements for the US Paragliding Open Competitions 2026. Please refer to the 2022 USHPA rule book.
Approved pilots will be invited to pay for each competition according pilot rank (see below). Your place at a competition is not confirmed until we have received your payment for the competition. The Pilot Lists show the current status of your registration. The organization committee has the authority to accept or deny any application, regardless of ranking.
Pilots are listed for each competition in ranked order and confirmed entry to the competition will be prioritised based on rank.
Pilots will be ranked for the competition as follows:
US pilots will be ranked by date/time of registration (NOT date/time of payment).
Pilots of other nations will be ranked by their current WPRS position.
US pilots will be listed first, followed by pilots of all other nations by rank. The Panel reserves the right to award places out of ranking order. They also reserve the right to award wildcards where they feel it is appropriate.
15% of places are reserved for female pilots until 60 days prior to the start of the event. Thereafter unallocated places may be awarded to men.
IMPORTANT: When you register for a competition, if you do not enter your ‘correct’ FAI and CIVL numbers then you will not be ranked correctly. Your CIVL number you can look up with the link on the Registration page. Also when you register you will be required to enter your ‘FAI Sporting Licence Nationality’. This is not another nationality you happen to hold, nor is it where you were born, or where you currently live, but is the country that issued your Sporting Licence (‘United States’ for USHPA issued licences).
Once a competition is full, pilots will be added to a waiting list and then if a place becomes available it will be offered to the next highest ranked pilot on the list. The pilot will receive an email from us inviting them to pay their entry fee and will have 5 days to do so before the place is offered to the next highest ranked pilot on the list.
Full details on pilot qualifications here.
Full Details on Local Rules and Regulations here.
Cost
Entry fee is $625 USD for early payment (within 5 days of registration). The top 15 NTSS pilots will receive a $50 USD discount on the event fee. Rankings will be as of April 1st, 2026. International pilots ranked in the top 400 in the WPRS will receive a $100 USD discount on the entry fee. The price increases to $675 USD after the early payment period. You might be wondering why comps in the US are so expensive?
Cancellation Policy
Any pilot who cancels their registration will be given a refund as follows:
- Cancellation date more than 90 days before competition start date: 100% refund, minus processing fees
- Cancellation date more than 75 days before competition start date: 50% refund, minus processing fees
- Cancellation date between 75 and 45 days before competition start date: 30% refund, minus processing fees
- Cancellation date less than 45 days before competition start date: 0% refund
Inability to attend due to Covid related travel reasons is not a reason for a refund of an amount greater than the above percentages and stated times. Please ensure you have adequate travel insurance to cover any last minute cancellations.
Cancellation of a Competition by the Organization ie Covid19 interference etc:
In the event the organizers deem it necessary to cancel, relocate, or reschedule the competition you will be entitled to a partial refund. This will be on the scale as follows:
– Up to 45 days before the first official event day: 100% less a $50 admin charge
– 45 to 0 days before the first official event day: An amount equivalent to the amount paid less the amount spent by the organisation in preparations up to that time.
After the start of the competition any refunds will be at the sole discretion of the organizers.
The organizers will not be liable for any costs incurred by anyone attending, or intending to attend the event, or any consequential losses arising from the cancellation, relocation, or rescheduling of the event.
Schedule
Event days: Friday September 4, 2026 – Saturday September 12, 2026
Friday Sept 4 2026
- Unofficial Practice Day. No Transportation or retrieve provided
- 1600–1830 Official Registration and equipment inspection at the Red Barn, adjacent to the main LZ in Monroe
- 1830-1900 Mandatory Safety and Race Briefing
Saturday Sept 5 – Saturday Sept 12
- Contest flying days (8). Note there is NO organized practice day on the 4th.
Saturday September 12
- 1900—Prize Giving
- Closing Ceremonies
- BBQ for pilots, family, and friends
- An EPIC Party (not organized by this organization, but by our awesome pilots)!
Race days schedule (Sept 5-12):
07:00 – Headquarters open
08:00 – Transport to take-off
09:30 – Meet Director / Task and Safety Committee meetings
10:00 – Pilots briefing / Previous task official results / Task definition
10:30 – Take-off window opens
16:30 – Scoring office opens
20:00 – Provisional results
Mandatory Equipment
- Garmin InReach or other suitable satellite tracker (we strongly suggest Garmin InReach over SPOT). We do not have units to lend, but we can arrange a 20% discount on purchase through Garmin. You will be provided a one month upgrade to their “Premiere Plan” which provides for unlimited texting and 2 minute tracking at no charge. You must already have the “Safety” or “Recreation” plan on your device. To correctly set up your device go here. PLEASE DO THIS BEFORE YOU ARRIVE!
- Headlamp
- External battery for your phone
Oxygen
Flying with oxygen is HIGHLY recommended. You can expect long tasks and very high altitudes, and oxygen helps you keep from getting hypoxic (which can be dangerous), helps you think more clearly and helps you stay warm.
An outside vendor (Doug Patrick) will have oxygen kits for rent or purchase (he we will buy back after the comp for a small fee). Doug has complete units (tanks, regulator, cannulas) available for rent for $150 + $100 deposit. Unlimited refills for $50 for the week, or $15 per fill. Canulas and basic carrying case will be provided for the comp systems. These units and regulators operate similar to more expensive “pulse” conserving technology systems at a very good price. Feel free to reach out with questions.
For those who desire the “best in class”, research “Mountain High Sport oxygen systems” (https://www.mhoxygen.com/). They run about $1200. We cannot offer these systems, but have arranged a 10% discount with Mountain High. Use the discount “RRWO-10” at checkout (or order by phone) to get the discount.
Retrieve
The group chat in conjunction with live trackers and InReach tracking is used for coordinating pilot retrievals.
PLEASE set up your satellite tracker per these instructions: 2025 InReach set up instructions
Communications
Radio frequency: 151.925 MHz (a USHPA member frequency)
Red Rocks Wide Open Telegram Official Announcements
Red Rocks Wide Open Telegram Group Chat
Flying in Southern Utah
Monroe has 4 world-class launches, and we have three others we can use (Wales, Horse Heaven, and Hurricane Ridge) within striking distance (1.5 – 2.5 hours).
Monroe Peak is the main launch, at an altitude of 11,171 feet and faces SW. It is an astonishing 5,000′ above the valley floor! HUGE distances have been flown from Monroe. List here.
Another nearby launch is COVE. Cove is a local favorite for getting incredible restitution glass-offs of well over 15,000′ even in October. Cove has launches from N, W and S.
Mt Edna, one of the most stunning take offs in the Rockies is the highest drive-up launch in Utah, with various launches that take nearly all winds between 11,500 and 11,700 feet.
Junction, a SE facing launch where HUGE XC flights (some over 300km) go down nearly every year.
We flew a 160km FAI triangle in the 2023 event from Wales and nearby Horse Heaven has several flights over 250km and is a legendary Hang Gliding Launch that can be a wicked late afternoon/ early evening restitution task site.
Hurricane Ridge, which we added in 2025 south of Cedar City is much lower than any of our standard launches and is a wicked evening ridge soaring site that goes all the way to the Grand Canyon. XC Flights have started there and gone 200+ km to Lake Powell!
Central Utah has the most reliable flying weather in the Intermountain West. CUASA, the local club hosts an annual fly-in at the end of September every year and it is nearly always flyable every day. We are hosting this event right after the monsoon, when OD becomes much less of an issue and yet the days are still long and XC potential is still fantastic. The fall colors will be setting in and the terrain is nothing short of mind-boggling. Expect long and varied tasks (FAI triangles, downwinders, and out and backs) that utilize the most of every day.
Medical Emergency
Our safety director, Justin Grisham, and his crew are all ER Physicians or wilderness medical experts.
Emergency Telephone
911
Nearest Hospital
Sevier County Hospital
1000 N Main St
Richfield, UT 84701
Phone: +1 (435) 893-4100
Prize Fund and Scoring Categories
Awards given to the top three in each category: Open, Sport, Masters and Women. We will also announce the National Champions (combo of US Open in Chelan and the Red Rocks Wide Open National championship series) for Overall, Women, and Sport Categories.
Attractions
National Parks nearby: Bryce, Escalante, Capital Reed, and Zion. They are all epic. There is great mountain biking, hiking is pretty surreal this time of year with the fall colors, hot springs in Monroe…
Staff
Organizer(s): Gavin McClurg and Logan Walters
Meet Director: Logan Walters
Medical and Safety: Justin Grisham
Weather: Reavis Sutphin-Gray
Scoring: Bill Hughes and Dave Wheeler
Method: Gap 2021, FTV 20%