Tag Archives: paragliding

#236 Soaring through History with Butch Peachy

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In this continuing series on legends in the sport I sit down with Butch Peachy to discuss his over 40 years of flying hang gliders and his continued passion today. We begin with Butch’s early days in hang gliding, his unique adventures including being (likely) the first to vol-biv with a hang glider, and the evolution of the sport. Butch shares crazy stories from the 70’s, his experiences in competitions, and how music has played a role in his flying adventures.

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#235 A Record is Crushed in Norway with Arne Kristian Boiesen

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On June 10, 2023 Arne Kristian Boiesen, a veteran paraglider from Norway stepped off one of his local sites outside of Oslo hoping to go pretty big. 9.5 hours later he’d flown his Niviuk Peak 6 343 km from launch, a remarkable 90 km farther than anyone ever had in Norway, flying nearly due north across epic terrain, landing just south of Trondheim. The record stands today.

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#234 A lifetime in the clouds with Chuck Smith

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Free flight tends to attract some rather big personalities to its crutches. And among its most interesting and passionate devotees is American pilot and pioneer Chuck Smith. Chuck learned back east on the dunes in the US with his brother in the late 80’s under the tutelage of climbing legend John Bouchard. From there the search for airtime and the love of the flying community brought him all over the world. The people he’s impacted or been impacted by is an impressive rolodex of the history of flying.

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#232 An Impossible Story of Survival with Ben Lewis

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Canadian pilot Ben Lewis shares his perilous and rather unbelievable cloudsuck experience paragliding in Bir, India, where extreme turbulence led eventually to a harrowing near-death “landing.” After losing control and suffering severe injuries, he emphasizes the importance of weather awareness, risk management, and community support in adventure sports, providing vital lessons for fellow adventurers.

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#231 Chasing Excellence with Evan Bouchier

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Evan discusses his transition from extreme kayaking to paragliding, highlighting the significance of tandem flying, competition experiences, and mental techniques like intuition and visualization. He reflects on challenges, the thrill of flying, and the importance of resilience, emphasizing the parallels between sports and his aspirations in cross-country paragliding.

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#229, The Exit Point Podcast interviews your Host

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Gavin McClurg, an accomplished extreme sports athlete and Patagonia ambassador, discusses his experiences with risk, flow, and mentorship in extreme sports on the Exit Point Podcast. He covers his history in ski racing, close calls in kayaking, and confidence-building from sailing around the world, emphasizing his expertise in paragliding.

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#228 Eat, Sleep, Fly 100 km Repeat with Mathew Fiddes

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Mathew Fiddes, a relatively new pilot, set out to win the Australian XC league in the 23′ XContest season. Despite early challenges, he aimed for 52 100 km flights in a season and achieved this goal by traveling extensively. A discussion at the Red Rocks Wide Open covers his journey and future aspirations.

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#227 The XPeaks Expedition with Chrigel Maurer and Peter Von Känel

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Peter Von Känel and Chrigel Maurer embarked on the Xpeaks 82 summits project, becoming the first to link all 82 of the 4,000-meter peaks in the Alps using only their feet and paragliders. Despite weather challenges, they completed the mission in a remarkable 51 days through teamwork, expert skills, and careful resource management, and “embracing uncertainty.”

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#226 Benni Bölli and the Art of Flaring

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The episode features Benni Bölli, the inventor and designer behind Flare kites, discussing “flaring” or parakiting, a sport combining kitesurfing and paragliding elements. He explains the Flare system’s dynamic nature, emphasizing safe handling, training, and the significant differences and benefits between parakites and traditional paragliders for soaring.

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#225 AMA with Malin Lobb- C Class 2 Liners, First bivvy in the Alps, When are you expedition Ready?

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In this Ask Me Anything episode, three main questions from Patreon supporters are addressed. Topics include the new class of C wing 2-Liners with insights from SIV expert Malin Lobb, tips for a first bivvy in the Alps, and advice on assessing readiness for big challenges such as new lines or expeditions.

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