Leo Geary Memorial Trophy

Leo supported the New Zealand Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (NZHGPA) and took part in the competitions. He would be exceedingly honored and proud that it established a trophy prize category in his name. See large pictures of the trophy. In 2003, Peter Groves sent email from New Zealand with recent news and support for the Leo Geary web pages. Peter is a paraglider who is also an organizer of the 2004 competition. The following information up to 2006 is from his emails. Since then Sven Ericksen (previously Kris) sends reports each year.

The NZ Paragliding Competition manual outlines awards for 4 main prize categories. The fourth award is the Leo Geary Memorial Trophy. Here's what the manual says:

"Awarded to the most outstanding performance at the National Championships from an up and coming pilot. This award is generally given to pilots with three years flying experience or less, and is only given to NZHGPA member pilots.

The recipient of the Leo Geary Memorial Trophy is selected between the Paragliding Competition Committee and the current sponsor of the trophy."

Here is Peter Groves' description.

"The Leo Geary Trophy is a quite stunning - it is a carved Maori Mere (a short war club with sharpened edges), about 15 inches long, carved from a NZ native wood. We'll get a photo when the Trophy is presented to the next recipient at the January competition. The trophy is given to the Best Newcomer, and as an incentive to encouraging their development in the sport, it is generally accompanied by a prize of a substantial discount off the purchase of a new paraglider."

• 2023 Wanaka, Jason Searle (photos and statement)
• 2022 Jesse Dhue (pictures and statement)
• 2021 Nelson, Josh Douglas (pictures and statement)
• 2020 Award not given
• 2019 Nelson, Nico Sand (pictures, report, statement)
• 2018 Wanaka, Award not given (see note from Kris Ericksen)
• 2017 Rotorua, Henry Dumbleton (see pictures and report)
• 2016 Manilla, NSW, Australia and Nelson, Leighton Joll (see pictures and report)
• 2015 Wanaka, Award not given
• 2014 Nelson and Rotorua, Melanie Heather (see pictures and statement)
• 2013 Wanaka, Louis Tapper (see picture and report)
• 2012 Nelson and Rotorua, Award not given (see note from Kris Ericksen.)
• 2011 Wanaka, Matt Stanford (see pictures and statement)
• 2010 Rotorua, Rob Boyle (see picture and statement)
• 2009 Wanaka, Wayne Rohrs (see pictures and statement)
• 2008 Nelson, Glen Stevens (see picture or Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=690786605&ref=ts)
• 2007 Rotorua, Petr Valek
• 2006 Wanaka, Sandy Yong (see picture and statement)
• 2005 Wanaka, Peter Elliott (see picture and statement)
• 2004 Wanaka, Dan Antill (see picture)
• 2003 Manilla, Dan Robertson of Auckland, NZ, at the NZ Nationals in Manilla, Australia (see picture)
• 2002 Wanaka, Bruce Vickerman of Auckland, NZ (Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=676987385&ref=ts)
• 2001 Nelson, Dylan Vickerman
• 2000 Wanaka, Jasmin Hill
• 1999 Manilla, Jill Borst, who tragically died in a paragliding accident in 2004 (Jill Borst Memorial Trophy website: http://jbmt.homestead.com/)
• 1998 Hawkes Bay, Award not given (thanks to Barry Sayer for the information)
• 1997 Nelson, Paul Sheehan
• 1996 Queenstown, Jeff Ripley (see picture)
• 1995 Nelson, Craig Collings (see picture, 2009), first year of the award, according to Mike McManaway

Sven Ericksen sent me a video that reminds me why, as he says, "it really is a magical sport".

For 2011 to present and ongoing improvement of this site, thanks to Sven Ericksen for keeping in touch with info and photos. He says, in 2023, regarding the Leo Geary Award:

"As long as the NZHGPA is organising national paragliding competitions there WILL be an award of the Leo Geary Trophy - provided that there is a candidate that qualifies. The fact that it is sometimes NOT awarded is an indication of the high esteem that this award is held!"

For 2010 updates to the list, thanks to Pamela Brown-Courtney, who contacted Kat West (in charge of the NZHGPA competition) and others, including Craig Collings, Glen Stevens, Jeff Ripley and Sven Ericksen. Thanks and credit for the photos in 2004 and 2005 to Roger North of New Zealand. Roger says,

"I would like to reinforce that the trophy is considered a great honour each year and also our continued respect for Leo."

The 2004 and 2005 competitions took place at Treble Cone, near Wanaka, a favorite destination for Leo Geary and friends. I sent Peter Grove Leo's notes from 1991. Here they are on a separate page, with Peter's reply as update and introduction.

Here is some background:

Newsletter cover for the 10th edition of Parapente. In an article about Leo, a magazine said, "Parapente..was personally written, edited, and published by Leo himself. It was the first publication of its kind, and Leo was the leader that made it all happen. He brought paragliding in New Zealand to the high profile sport it has become now. He created Parapente as a journalistic medium for all pilots to communicate with each other, learn the latest news, and have information which they can exchange. Leo put a lot of energy and effort into the magazine, purely for the benefit of his fellow pilots." (Quote from Airborn, New Zealand Hang Gliding & Paragliding Magazine, Issue 73, October 1992.)
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