Coupe Icare, also known as the
Icarus
In Greek mythology, Icarus (; , ) was the son of the master craftsman Daedalus, the architect of the labyrinth of Crete. After Theseus, king of Athens and enemy of King Minos, escaped from the labyrinth, Minos suspected that Icarus and Daedalu ...
Cup, is an annual festival of free flight held between
Saint-Hilaire (on the border of
Chartreuse Mountains) and
Lumbin (in the valley of
Isère
Isère ( , ; ; , ) is a landlocked Departments of France, department in the southeastern French Regions of France, region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Named after the river Isère (river), Isère, it had a population of 1,271,166 in 2019. in
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
). The festival typically lasts four days and is held in the early autumn. Coupe Icare is best known for its Concours de déguisements (
Masquerade Flight contest), in which
paraglider
Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched Glider (aircraft), glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure. The pilot sits in a :wikt:harness, harness or in ...
and
hang glider pilots fly in costume to compete for prizes.
Coupe Icare features
aerial acrobatics,
hang gliders, paragliders, and
hot air balloons. In addition to flight competitions, live entertainment, and street performances, the festival offers children's activities and a flight museum. It is held in conjunction with a commercial exposition and a film festival.
Originally organized by Tourist Office of St Hilaire in 1974, it is now organized by
Icare Festival Organisation (IFO), a non-profit founded in 1989 for the purpose of managing Coupe Icare.
The 2012 Coupe Icare was held on September 20–23.
2012 Coupe Icare
coupe-icare.org site
Pictures
Image:Looping_delta_hv.JPG, High velocity hang-glider
Image:Acrobatie_parapente_1.JPG, paragliding acrobatics
Image:Acrobatie_parapente_2.JPG, paragliding acrobatics #2
Image:CoupeIcare05.jpg, Much paragliding in the sky
Image:CoupeIcare05 velo.jpg, costume contest
References
External links
Coupe Icare Photos
Hang gliding
Festivals in France
Sports competitions in France
{{France-sport-stub