Neil Roberts
XC League
Since learning to paraglide in 1992, Neil has continually performed well in the British XC League. Usually ending up around the UK’s top ten and often winning the Team XC League, being one of the prominent members of the Long Mynd XC Team.
This year taking the Goal British Record and finishing Vice Champion 2007.
British Nationals
Having qualified into the Nationals from the XC League in 1997, Neil progressed up the rankings to become a continuous Top five contender in most of this millennium.
He has raced in some of the strongest places across Europe: St Andre, Piedrahita, Grand Bornand, Castejon, Larange, Greoliers, Mayerhofen. The list goes on and on.
World Wide
Neil has competed all over the World. Achieving second place in South Africa’s Porterville Millenium Cup. Racing in Brazil, three times now.
Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Italy, France, Switzerland oh and the UK.
Boot Camps
Neil was elected as chairman of the British Competitions panel in 2004 and Teamed up with Bob Drury to arrange an X-Alps journey for some of the British Squad. He flew from near the Mediterranean Sea through the Alps, crossing the scary Tet de la Strop Run in day 1, the huge Ecrins Range on day 2. From Grenoble towards Chamonix on day 3 and on day 4 from Chamonix, he flew 150k at 4000 meters across Switzerland and its glaciers. Two of the squad members Aiden Toase and Ulric Jessop, are now the British representatives in the Red Bull X-Alps.
Bleriot Cup
He has represented the UK in the Bleriot cup in 2001, and became Team Captain in 2004 when he got his team to beat the French in the UK. In 2005, Neil assembled another Bleriot Team to defend the Cup in the French Alps. Winning with the largest margin ever in this international team competition and having for the first time achieved back to back victories, Neil handed the reigns on and moved into PWC.
British Team
Neil has been selected as reserve member of the British Team for the European Championships in Greece 2004 and the World Championships in Brazil 2005.
Neil also became Team manager of the Greek European Squad. Helping the team achieve their highest ranking position for over a decade. Neil’s own World ranking position soared into the Top 50 in the World in 2006, he aims to go higher in 2008.
Paragliding World Cup
In 2006 Neil qualified to compete in the ultimate of all paragliding competitions.
The PWC is a World-wide circuit where the best pilots in the world compete at break neck speeds. He achieved positions in the twenties on some tasks, but Neil confirms that 60 seconds slower can easily put you in the seventies; he finished his tour in 50th place, deciding not to cross the World for the final leg in the Indian Ocean. Missing five tasks pushed him to a still commendable mid 60 position. The focus now is to do the entire PWC series of 2008 and make the British Team for the Worlds in Mexico.