Duotone Diversity Magazine No.02 2020

You are a passionate ski racer and celebrated huge successes especially in Super G, downhill skiing and giant slalom. How did you discover kiting? I used to go on holidays with friends once a year for surfing. In 2013 we came up with the idea to check out Sardinia and go kiting. Of course this doesn’t work without some preparation – that’s why I did a kite course in Podersdorf at Neusiedlersee before leaving for Sardinia. How do requirements regarding coordination andmovement differ between skiing and kiting? Would you say it was easier for you as a professional skier to learn kiting? Yes, I’d say so. Kitesurfing addresses similar muscle groups as in skiing, e.g. legs and torso. Also balance and coordination are very important, which I often train for skiing as well. In the beginning, only going upwind and reading the wind was quite a challenge for me. Was it a big conversion for you to change from two “boards” under your feet to only one? Yes, in the beginning, definitely! But also today I sometimes struggle to get enough pressure on the edge. So sometimes I do wish to be back on two “boards” when kiting! Skiing is a super competitive sport – not least it is about speed as well. Does that influence your way of kiting? Yes, probably ... I sometimes have to stop myself to not overdo it. When you learn new things in kiting, is it possible to transfer it to skiing? Does kiting bring progress for you in skiing? Or the other way around? Foremost I learned kiting for the fun I find in it, to have a balancing sport during holidays. Though some things also help me when skiing in winter, e.g. coordination and balance. What tempts you most in kiting? In flat water it’s definitely jumps that tempt me the most …higher and further is my goal! But when I’m at a wave spot, I simply enjoy riding the waves. You’re an aerobatic paraglider, a discipline also known as Acro Flying. It’s the freestyle discipline in paragliding, making all sorts of spectacular tricks in the sky. What was your motivation to start with this sport? The motivation naturally started while my Mom was still pregnant with me. She took me flying before I was even born. At the age of 2 I started to fly in tandem with my father and I did my first solo flight at nine years old. Then it was a way for me to escape from school and discover the world with a glider. You are regarded as one of the most progressive pilots in Acro Flying, taking paragliding to previously unseen levels with your creative flying. What’s the source of your creativity? Where do you get your inspiration? My source of creativity comes from my passion for all the different kinds of outdoor sports. I never stop trying new sports like kitesurfing, freestyle skiing, skydiving, bouldering etc. From the beginning I also was inspired by different athletes, their style, skills and spirit. You are also kiteboarding. Are you pulling tricks on the kite, just like in the air? I would love to but my sport asks for a lot of training so unfortunately not much time is left to practice my kitesurfing skills. What’s the difference between kiting and paragliding, apart fromwater vs. air? How different does it feel? Apparently I don’t see that much difference as both sports are dependant on mother nature. When Paragliding, you really have the feeling of flying which you also can find when kiteboarding, only that it’s for a shorter time. The “sliding part” of kiteboarding you can also do when flying close to the ground – we call it Barefoot or Jibb. In both sports you definitely feel the power of your wing / kite over your head. You lately said the thing that you love most about Acro Flying is the adrenaline and the freedom – what do you love about kiteboarding? I find both feelings also when kiting. But what I love the most is to mix two different elements, the air and the water. Though to be honest, I’m not that comfortable in the water so while kiting I’m still much more using the element that I’m used to – air. Do you think Acro Flying pushes your skill level in kiting? Or the other way around? Yes definitely. I started kiting in Cape Town and it took me only one day to start playing with the kite in the middle of the big waves of Dolphin Beach. Obviously controlling the kite wasn’t a problem. The bigger challenge was to ride the board as my other background is in skiing and not snowboarding. Are there any limits to Acro Flying which you feel you can compensate by kiting? Meaning things you can’t do in Acro Flying but in kiting? Riding a solid wave and speaking with girls, as there aren’t a lot of girls in paragliding. So ladies – start flying ! ;) HANNES REICHELT TIM ALONGI ALP I NE SK I RACER FREES T Y L E PAR AGL I DER Photo Titouan Merle Photography Portrait John Staples, Red Bull Content Pool Photo Erich Spiess, Tirolfoto Portrait Spar Österreich P E O P L E 23 22 P E O P L E S P O R T S