Police said emergency services were contacted at 1.20pm and the Alpine Cliff Rescue team assisted the 44-year-old local man, who was then taken to Lakes District Hospital by helicopter.
New Zealand Paragliding Open event organiser Mark Hardman was competing in second day of the championship when the accident occurred and dropped out of the competition to be with the injured man until the rescue helicopter arrived.
Mr Hardman said the New Zealand Paragliding Open was the biggest held in this country in recent years.
About a third of the entrants were from overseas. The youngest entrant was in their 20s and the oldest in their 70s, he said.
Mr Hardman said paragliding was remarkably easy to learn, ``but to learn to read the weather and the terrain, and predict where the thermals are going to come from and plan routes is the hard bit''.
``It's scientific but practically, it's more of an art form.''
Mr Hardman described paragliding cross-country as `` more like back country skiing. People generally enjoy the adventure and the remoteness, the terrain, the exploration, cruising around beautiful mountains and the views''.
The competition includes events at Coronet Peak and continues until this Sunday.
