Eight years ago Alana Kahl had never seen a hot air balloon. Now she's one of five Australians about to compete in the FAI Women's World Hot Air Ballooning Championships in Northam, Western Australia.
Organised by the worldwide governing body for air sports, Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, this is the first time the championship has been held outside of Europe. Thirty women from 13 nations, including Brazil, New Zealand and Latvia, will take to the skies from September 2-9.
For many, the world of competitive ballooning is an unknown. And if it wasn't for a chance encounter in a cafe with fellow hot air balloon pilot Nikki Coleman, it would still be to Ms Kahl.
Growing up in Queensland, she hadn't been exposed to the same early morning sounds of hot air balloons flying overhead like many Canberrans. Still, it captivated the then-new Canberran, and she started crewing for Ms Coleman.
Even while she was helping set up the balloon, chasing after the pilot and then packing it all away again, Ms Kahl knew she not only wanted to fly the hot air balloons but race competitively.
"I am an exceptionally competitive person, so it was natural for me to move straight into competition," she said.
"There's a lot of the ballooning memberships that are just fun flyers, and they'll go out to festivals and have some real great times. So you don't necessarily have to get into competition. But it was always the logical step for me and doing it as quickly as possible has kind of been my thing."
In competition, pilots head up in teardrop-shaped balloons - which are quicker than the classic round shapes - before trying to accurately complete one or more tasks set out for them by the competition director. Most of these tasks involve competitors droping markers on to set targets.
"They'll set between three and eight tasks - sometimes more, sometimes less, depending on the weather conditions. And you just keep following the track as you go," Ms Kahl said.
"But Northam is fantastic to fly in. Canberra, because it's a city and we've got the airport so close, it's a little bit more technical. So you have to have real knowledge of the area and where you're going and all of that. But Northam is just a big country town, and it's got massive paddocks."
Also flying during the championships for Australia is dual women's world champion Nicola Scaife, of the Hunter Valley.
"I won my first two women's world championship titles quite early in my ballooning career," Ms Scaife said.
"Despite these early wins, my motivation to win a third title in my home country is very strong."
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