Two weeks ago at the World Championships in Costelo, Brazil a competition pilot was killed. This tragedy sparked an immediate and fiery response on social media calling for a top-down change at CIVL, the governing body of Category 1 competitions. Interestingly, two years ago during the World’s in France there were over a dozen incidents, many which lead to serious injuries…but the blame was more sequestered to the pilots ability and decision-making, not the organization. Last week Chrigel sent me an 8 minute voicemail during a training session laying out his own personal thoughts on this charged debate. So we made an effort to sit down immediately and discuss it all without all of the online emotion. Who’s ultimately in charge of safety at competitions? We explore the historical context of safety measures and the comparisons with what’s going on now to what’s happened in the past, the stress levels experienced by pilots during competitions, and the importance of training and experience. The conversation also touches on accident statistics, the responsibilities of pilots versus organizers, and the development of gear and its impact on safety. We conclude with thoughts on future directions for safety and training in the sport.



















Takeaways







The paragliding community experiences waves of safety concerns and performance debates.Stress levels during competition can significantly affect pilot performance and enjoyment.Training and experience are crucial for handling advanced gliders safely.Accident statistics reveal a need for better safety awareness in paragliding.Pilots must take personal responsibility for their safety during competitions.Organizers face challenges in balancing safety and competition excitement.Gear development should prioritize safety alongside performance.A culture of safety needs to be fostered from the beginning of training.More communication between pilots and organizers can improve safety measures.Future improvements in paragliding safety require collaboration between athletes and manufacturers.







Sound Bites







“It’s a wicked dangerous sport, just period.”“We have to develop new stuff.”“We need to find solutions together.”







Chapters







00:00 The Safety Debate in Paragliding04:51 Understanding Stress Levels in Competition09:41 The Role of Training and Experience14:15 Accident Statistics and Safety Perception19:12 The Responsibility of Pilots vs. Organizers24:08 Gear Development and Safety Concerns29:01 Future Directions for Safety and Training