‘Redefining the race’

The growth of competition hike-and-fly continues with the launch of two new (and very different) events in France. The well-known French pilot Laurie Genovese has announced details of a new hike-and-fly stage race which aims to attract more female pilots to the sport with a focus on safety. Registration has opened for the first Peak Race planned for the last weekend in August in Samoëns, France. 

“There are not so many women in this paragliding world,” she laments. “In France, in competition it’s less than 10%. Then there’s this risky image of hike-and-fly races.” She says that 50:50 participation is unrealistic but with equal prize money, separate rankings and a focus on safety first, there’s no reason female participation can’t...