ONLY 1.2 points could separate NSW and Queensland at the end of the Paragliding State of Origin titles at Mount Borah over the long weekend.
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After three days of fierce competition, it was Queensland, lead by best individual female pilot Sarah Allen, who claimed the victory with a total of 457.2 points.
NSW's Bernard Hurzler proved to be the best of the male pilots during the competition but was unable to see his side home, finishing second with a total of 456 points, more than 10 points clear of the World Barbarians, who finished with 440.3 points.
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Manilla Paragliding chief flying instructor Godfrey Wenness said the close finish would help keep the state rivalry alive.
"With more than 200 pilots taking to the air across the three days it was a fantastic competition all up," Wenness told the Leader.
"The competition is aimed at developing novice pilots, so from that stand point it the event was very successful."
While the event proved very successful for most of the pilots, the competition's third day had to be abandoned after a pilot had a crash landing and fell about 10 metres.
"It's obviously pretty disappointing to see this sort of thing happen but when you have 200 people all together competing in any sport accidents are likely to happen," Wenness said.
"The non-competition pilot from Queensland misjudged his landing and fell, so we obviously wish him all the best for a speedy recovery."
Teams earnt points for each kilometre travelled by a team member, with competitors travelling as far west as Boggabri and Narrabri.
"The event is really a stepping stone event for developing pilots," Wenness said.
"So for a lot of the more inexperienced pilots it was good for them to have some assistance from us and other more experienced pilots to help guide them through a little bit.
"That's where the points system comes into play because while they may not be experienced they can still help contribute to the team effort.
"Hopefully they all enjoyed it and will be back next year."
Wenness said the club would now turn its attention to hosting next year's event.
"The next thing our facility will host is the National Radio Control Pilots Championships later in the year," he said.
"As for us, we will look forward to our annual event in late January next year."