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The Roar's weird sport series: Speed riding

Roar Guru
23rd November, 2014
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Roar Guru
23rd November, 2014
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For some, flying down a slope at 80km per hour with sticks strapped to your feet is enough excitement for one day. For others, it simply isn’t.

Speed riding (synonymously known as speed flying or gliding) is the invention of those select few that think keeping your feet on the ground is mainstream and staying on the groomed runs is boring.

The sport is described by some as “dangerous as hell” as is the combination of most commonly skiing (but also snowboarding) and paragliding and was developed in France by mountaineers who used parachutes to launch themselves from cliff faces.

From its nascent stages the sport grew only marginally until the 1990s when ‘foot-launched’ slalom races began to take of in the United States. It wasn’t until 2001 that speed gliding became popular curtesy of a few stunt videos released by a team of American stunt parachutists.

To date, there exists an estimated 3000 – 5000 speed riding pilots across the world.

History aside, speed riding is about as nuts as bull fighting without a cape… and then replacing the bull with a crocodile. Athletes fly at speeds ranging from a leisurely 20 mph to 90+ mph.

For those unfamiliar with the imperial system that’s a range from around 32kph to over 145kpm. 145kpm with nothing more than an undersized parachute strapped to your back that is designed to fall rather than fly.

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To make matters worse, speed gliding isn’t really kosher inside resort boundaries largely owing to the position that most resorts take on speeding airborne humans and the risk they pose to other punters who don’t want to be decapitated. Also, there is something about insurance, but let’s not get into that.

Accordingly, the sport only occurs outside of resorts, which compounds the danger – but does make for some great GoPro footage.

It is because of these factors that death is a prevalent part of speed riding, so prevalent in fact that Speed-Flying.com has a list of those whom have lost their lives to the progressive sport.

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