🪂 Questioning the X-Alps: Competition vs. Adventure

Published: Jun 25, 2025 • Read time: 6 minsBy Para Clinics Aotearoa

Introduction

The Red Bull X-Alps is often described as the toughest adventure race on Earth. It combines ultramarathon-level endurance with elite paragliding skill, played out over some of the most rugged terrain in Europe. But this year, something shifted. Severe weather, rising risk, and the emotional toll on pilots have sparked deep conversation in the paragliding world.

When French pilot Max Pinot stepped out of the race, citing mental trauma and safety concerns, he wasn’t just withdrawing — he was asking an important question: What are we really chasing out here?

Reframing Competition

Some athletes persist no matter what. Others, like Pinot, choose personal well-being over rankings. In the words of Sir Brand Warren:

“I’ll fight to the end, but my ego isn’t in this. If the sky’s terrifying, I’d rather walk.”

This is a powerful reminder. In our sport, the mindset you fly with is as important as your technical ability. When risk climbs higher than purpose, we have to ask: are we still aligned with why we started flying in the first place?

The Road Less Traveled

While the world watches the X-Alps leaderboard, pilots like Antoine Girard quietly push boundaries in the Canadian Rockies and the American West—alone, unsupported, unseen. Without rankings or fanfare, their journeys remain mostly invisible to the wider audience.

But if the heart of paragliding is adventure, creativity, and personal growth, why aren’t these missions celebrated equally? Projects like The Rockies Traverse and Vol Biv expeditions remind us that flying isn’t always about the finish line. Sometimes, it’s about where your own two feet and a fabric wing can take you.

What Is the Value of the X-Alps?

There’s no question that the X-Alps pushes athletes to incredible physical and mental heights. But when close calls and near misses become routine, we must ask: At what cost?

In The Rise of Superman, Steven Kotler explores how elite athletes seek flow states, not just podiums. That pursuit of presence—the "zone"—is what many of us feel when we're flying: a timeless state of clarity, risk, and reward. Winning is just a side effect. Flying is the win.

XC Flying: A Personal Journey

Cross-country paragliding is deeply personal. It’s less about beating someone, and more about mastering yourself. But when rankings, likes, or glory cloud that intention, the journey can lose its meaning.

If one pilot pays the ultimate price for the spectacle, can we really say it was worth it?

Risk vs. Reward

The truth is, chasing the edge always involves risk. But those risks should feel purposeful—not performative. As the sport grows, perhaps it’s time to evolve our competitions too.

One idea? Introduce a peer-reviewed safety rating that can pause or neutralize racing in severe conditions. This doesn’t water down the event—it adds integrity, allowing pilots to compete and live to fly another day.

From Personal Reflection

As an instructor and a pilot, I’ve chased numbers too—altitudes, hours, distances. But experience, especially through acrobatics and deep solo flights, has taught me to value trust, intuition, and presence over performance.

Flying isn't about proving something to others. It's about returning to the feeling—the one that first made us look at wings and think: Yes. I want to feel that.

Final Thoughts

Are we chasing progress—or chasing status? Do we fly to soar higher—or just to stand above someone else?

At Para Clinics, we believe in protecting the essence of flying while evolving the sport forward. Paragliding is more than just a competition. It’s a craft, a teacher, and a mirror for who we are becoming.

Let’s keep it that way.

💬 We'd love to hear your thoughts.

Do you think the X-Alps format needs to evolve? What are you really flying for?

👉 Share in the comments or join the convo on WhatsApp.