Josh Cohn and Eric Reed continue to battle it out as the leaders in US Paragliding Nationals. Reed recently claimed first place in the annual Rat Race PG competition at Woodrat Mountain held from June 14 to June 20. Cohn came in third. Neither appeared at the Chelen Open Distance Competition held from June 28 to July 3.
These two fierce competitors have been at it for several years. Cohn ranked first in the 2013 NTSS. When naming the US team for the 2015 World Cup competition in Roldanillo, Columbia, the US paragliding team site called Cohn “perhaps the most accomplished pilot in the US competition scene.”
Cohn, a California native and paragliding veteran competing since 1989, holds the US pilot record for the most world competitions. In addition, he’s won at least one major national event every year since 2010. When not participating in his favorite sport, he is a buyer and independent music distributor.
Eric Reed, nicknamed Badger, named second in the 2013 NTSS ratings, makes his home in New Jersey and counts paragliding as one of his occupations. The other is software. Reed started paragliding in 1997 and has been burning up the events ever since. In 2012, he gained the title for the longest bivy flight in the US at 663 km. Earlier, in 2010, he claimed the longest bivy in the world at 1182 km.
The next National Championship event is the Owen’s Valley Cross Country Classic in Bishop, CA from September 20 -26. Fans who follow these two will be pleased to note at present both Cohn and Reed are confirmed participants. Who will win that championship? Will the final score reveal yet another close competition between these two or will there be a surprise ending for all?
