Icarus X race series heads to South Africa

This March sees the 2018 Icarus X race series land in South Africa for the first time, as paramorists take to the skies above Gauteng and Limpopo.
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Paramotoring is effectively flying with a motor tied to your back and a paragliding wing above your head and is growing rapidly as a sport.

The X series was created on the back of the popularity of the Icarus Trophy, the world’s longest paramotor race, and features four shorter-format stand-alone race events across four continents (one in the US, one in the UK, one in Australia and now one in South Africa).

March’s race will see pilots follow a stunning 340km two-day course. Taking off on the 30th of March, participants will follow an ABC-A course, starting & finishing at Zulu Nyala Lodge, Gauteng, and will fly over some of the area’s best nature reserves and parks, giving pilots a unique view of their wildlife, and stopping at checkpoints at the Vaalkop and Buffelspoort dams en route. A properly epic & diverse triangle showcasing South Africa at its best.

The event itself is split into two divisions – one for the more experienced pilots, who are racing for glory, and an Adventure Division, for the less seasoned racer who wants to take things at a more ‘leisurely pace’.

Adding to the action, all competitors must carry their own food, clothes, a way to sleep (although if you land near a hotel there’s nothing in the rules against you sleeping in luxury) and basic parts to fix their paramotors should anything go wrong.

The organisers, The Adventurists, do however track your course, provide you with an SOS tracker, should you need emergency assistance, and send you specialised weather reports. There’s also a ‘support truck’ which follows the competitors just in case there is a major incident – it will however probably take a while to reach you if you land in the middle of nowhere, so best pack some sandwiches.