The new X-Alps umbrellas

March 5, 2019

The deadline for the EN certification of umbrellas flying in this year's Redbull X-Alps has expired. Shortly before the end, there were five new entries. The Phi Maestro X-Alps. // Source: Facebook, Phi If you look at the respective pages of the certification bodies DHV and Air Turquoise, you will find five models whose certification was just completed on time: Advance Omega X-Alps 3, Gin Puma XS, Skywalk X-Alps 4 , Ozone Zeolite and Phi Maestro X-Alps. The latter model is likely to cause a sensation. While almost all X-Alps athletes now compete with two- or three-liners in the EN-D category, Japanese Kaoru Ogisawa will ride the EN-B Phi Maestro. Its X-Alps variant has a weight of just under three kilograms. With this move, Phi designer Hannes Papesh wants to prove once more that low-stretch umbrellas can compete with classic "racing machines". If Ogisawa really manages to keep up with other X-Alps pilots in the air, the Maestro's positioning in the X-Alps screens might turn out to be a skilful marketing move. In 2013, there were still five participants in the Redbull X-Alps with an EN-B (Nova Mentor 3 light) in the air. However, none of them came to the front seats. At that time, Hannes Papesh had also designed the Mentor 3 for Nova.

This article has been translated for your convenience and was originally written in German.