The 2026 Transcapixaba Hike & Fly Full Edition marked a new chapter in the history of hike & fly in Brazil. For the first time, the competition challenged athletes to cross the state of Espírito Santo from north to south, connecting some of the country’s most iconic free-flying regions in one continuous adventure.

Inspired by the original crossing completed in 2022, which later gave birth to the Transcapixaba competition, the Full Edition brought together Brazilian and international pilots for the longest and most demanding edition of the event so far.

Over twelve race days, athletes had to combine flying, hiking, strategy, endurance and an accurate understanding of weather and terrain. The route crossed very different landscapes and flying areas, turning each day into a new challenge. Choosing when to fly, when to continue on foot, where to launch and where to land became just as important as pure flying performance.

A remarkable victory
Brazilian pilot Gabriel Jansen Rabello delivered an outstanding performance to win the 2026 Transcapixaba. Flying an Ozone Zeolite 2, Gabriel reached the finish line on July 18 at 15:19, completing the course in just 4 days and 9 hours.

Argentina’s Nicolas Hayes, flying an Ozone Zeolite 2 GT with an Ozone F*Race 2 harness, took second place in 6 days and 12 hours.

South African pilot Ben Hodgson, also flying an Ozone Zeolite 2, finished third, reaching the finish line after 8 days and 6 hours.

The international character of the race continued throughout the ranking, with pilots from Brazil, Argentina, South Africa, the United States, Colombia and Switzerland among those who completed the entire course.

By the end of the race, 13 athletes had reached the finish line, an impressive achievement considering the length of the challenge, the changing weather conditions and the physical demands of a multi-day hike & fly competition.

More than a race
Transcapixaba is not raced inside a single valley or around one established flying site. It is a journey through an entire territory. The course connects mountains, rural communities and some of Espírito Santo’s best-known free-flying areas, while also taking athletes through places rarely explored by international pilots.

Regions such as Pancas, Baixo Guandu and Castelo have a long history in Brazilian and international paragliding. Hike & fly, however, offers a completely different way of experiencing these landscapes: there is no single launch, no retrieve waiting after every flight and no predefined task designed around the day’s best conditions.

The athletes themselves must read the terrain and the weather and decide how to move through it. Sometimes the fastest way forward is in the air. Sometimes it is on foot. And sometimes the most important decision is knowing when not to fly. This combination of adventure, strategy and exploration is at the heart of Transcapixaba.

Brazil on the international hike & fly map
Since its first competition edition in 2023, Transcapixaba has steadily attracted pilots from different parts of the world and helped develop hike & fly in Brazil.

The event has grown from an ambitious Brazilian project into an international meeting point for athletes who want to discover a very different flying environment.

Espírito Santo offers a remarkable combination of mountains, tropical landscapes, a strong free-flying culture and terrain that lends itself naturally to hike & fly. During Transcapixaba, those elements become part of one long moving race, creating an experience that is as much about competing as it is about discovering Brazil in a unique way.

The 2026 Full Edition demonstrated what is possible when all these elements come together. It was long. It was demanding. It required patience, endurance and good decisions. And for those who made it to the end, crossing the finish line represented much more than a position in the ranking: it meant having crossed Espírito Santo on foot and by paraglider.

See you in Brazil in 2027
After the biggest Transcapixaba so far, the story continues!

A new route and a new challenge await the pilots in 2027, offering another opportunity to discover Espírito Santo from a perspective that very few people ever experience — walking its mountains and flying above them.

For international pilots looking for their next hike & fly adventure, perhaps it is time to put Brazil on the list.

See you at Transcapixaba 2027.

Full results: https://civlcomps.org/event/transcapixaba-hike-and-fly3/results

Congrats to all the pilots and cheers from all the Ozone team!

Text courtesy of Micheli Sossai

Photos: Arthur Oliviera