enzogate 

Being banned from a competition whilst finishing first, second or third after being told that your equipment isn`t within specification

The debacle, christened ‘Enzogate’ online, exposed the limitations of trying to force competition paragliders into the EN system and shone a light on the manufacturers ‘arms race’ and the lengths that companies will go to to make a winning competition paraglider.

Ozone has published an apology to “all pilots and specifically Enzo 2 pilots” on their website and have offered a “full refund” for Enzo 2 pilots if they want it.

In the apology Ozone admit that they changed the production Enzo 2 from the Enzo 2 originally certified and say this was a “mistake”.

They say, “It was a mistake to push the frame so much without prior checks of how our interpretation would be accepted” and add, “we did make a mistake, we went too far, and we apologise unreservedly for that.”

They also recognise the damage done to their reputation and to the sport. “We have to work hard to repair the damage we have done in the competition world and generally to our pilots.”

The apology, published late on Monday 17 February, is signed by Mike Cavanagh, boss of Ozone. He asks pilots who have suffered a loss of points in competition because of ‘Enzogate’ to get in touch with him directly by email.

enzogate by agl450 March 8, 2014