Over the Top

Not so long ago, it was rare to find a garden with a trampoline where you could spend hours practising somersaults and other tricks. Somersaults were something special, and I was determined to be able to do at least one. I still remember the first time I managed a backflip into Lake Zug as a primary school pupil. I was so proud of myself! Today, however, I have the feeling that a somersault is no longer that special for young people.

In the ’80s and ’90s, new sports such as snowboarding, freestyle skiing, kitesurfing and paragliding emerged. In all these fun sports people wanted to show off their skills, and somersaults were also part of the programme. The more and crazier, the better. The flips became more and more difficult, more sophisticated and often combined with other elements such as twists.

In the those early years there were also daring pilots who believed that it would be possible to do a somersault with a paraglider. Absurd, crazy, dangerous – these were the comments on this idea. At the time, I would have bet a camel that a somersault with a paraglider was...