Drone Worlds

Olympic-style racing on kualoa ranch.

- Dave Stock

From humble beginnings to a global sport in little more than a year, first-person-view (FPV) drone racing looks as if it’s here to stay. For many, the Drone Worlds event, promising 10 days of prop-to-prop action on four world-class courses in a Hawaiian paradise, looked likely to be the pinnacle race of the season. After hosting qualifier events in more than 40 countries, the Drone Sports Association races culminated in the Olympic-style Drone Worlds finals on Hawaii’s stunning Kualoa Ranch, the famous setting for many films including the 1993 classic Jurassic Park.

The biggest international drone racing meet thus far, it was too good an opportunity for many pilots to miss. And with up to $200,000 in prizes, it was no wonder more than 180 pilots traveled up to 12,000 miles to be part of it. “The last 12 months have been dedicated to this,” said Australian pilot Ross “RekRek” Kerker. But not everyone was so excited. After a run of subpar European events, some were more cautious. “I didn’t want to risk going to Hawaii and [to] another poorly organized event,” said U.K. pilot Brett Collis, who didn’t attend.

As the host nation, Team USA showcased a huge team including Cain “MadAir” Madere, Paul “Bulbufet” Nurkkala, Shaun “Nytfury” Taylor, and Brian “Brain Drain” Morris, alongside local Hawaiian pilots Ian Forbes and Ethan “HiFlite” Gulnac. Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Korea, and China all sported large teams, too, and more distant nations, including Ukraine, Poland, Russia, the United Kingdom, and South Africa, managed smaller representation.

RACE TIME