Overview

In this fourth episode of *The Paragliding Podcast*, hosts Tarquin Cooper and Ed Ewing blend practical gear analysis, cautionary tales, and inspiring adventure stories from the world of free flying. The episode's central tension revolves around the balance between ambition and wisdom—whether pursuing a personal goal like flying 100 hundred-kilometer flights in a year or chasing world records in Kenya's Kerio Valley. With a conversational, magazine-style feel, the hosts move from Tarquin's painful lesson about cold-weather gear at altitude to Ariel Zlatkovski's obsessive quest that became a prison, and finally to the friendly rivalry between hang glider and paraglider pilots over who holds the sport's most prestigious distance records.

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0:00Opening and Missed Travel Plans

The episode opens with Tarquin explaining why he is not in Cuba. He had been scheduled to join a guided paragliding trip organized by Chris Garcia of Convergence Paragliding, an American former adventure sports guide who now leads tours to offbeat destinations including Cuba, northern Kenya, and—recently scouted—Bhutan. The magazine will feature an article on Bhutan in the next issue. However, geopolitical tensions escalated at the last minute, and Cuba was placed on "no-go lists" for European travelers. The US contingent still went, but all the Europeans pulled out. Tarquin notes that everyone he speaks to who is planning trips now adds the caveat "depending on the world situation." He mentions that Damien Lacaze, whom he met at the Pelvoux Testivol, is planning a trip to Pakistan with Fabi Boulle, but again, subject to global stability.

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2:00The Pelvoux Testivol and Tarquin's Painful Flight

Tarquin describes his experience at the Pelvoux Testivol in Vallouise, located 12 km west of Briançon in the Écrins Massif—a rugged, wild area of the French Alps known for strong, punchy spring conditions. This was the first Testivol he had attended where it was actually flyable. The setup is a ski resort with a chairlift that is slowed down for pilots to board and exit on foot. About 125 people attended each day, higher than expected, and most brands were represented by their French dealers rather than the manufacturers themselves.

The conditions were hazy due to Sahara sand, which Damien Lacaze explained was actually beneficial: it dampened and softened the thermals, making them less aggressive than the typical six or seven meters per second climbs. This was ideal for pilots like Tarquin who had low currency after a winter of minimal flying in the UK.

Tarquin started on a BGD Anda, an EN-A hike-and-fly wing, which he enjoyed for its simplicity—no need to be overly active while flying. He then wanted to try the Ozone Buzz but found they did not have his size; the smallest weight range began at 85 kg, and he was around 82–83 kg after losing weight over Christmas. The dealers told him he would be fine, but this decision set the stage for trouble.

On launch day, it was super hot, so Tarquin left his thick, warm mittens in his bag. After a brief wait because conditions were too strong to launch, he finally took off. He climbed smoothly in a thermal at about +2 m/s, watching his altimeter rise: 2,005, 2,006, 2,007 meters. As he climbed past 3,000 meters toward 3,200 meters, his hands grew progressively colder until he lost all feeling. He tried shaking his arms to restore circulation, but sitting in his harness made this ineffective. The pain became acute, and he also began feeling nauseous—possibly from the altitude, possibly from the pain itself.

Realizing he needed to descend, he pulled big ears (a technique where the wingtips are folded in to increase sink rate) and went on bar (accelerator). Even then, his vario showed he was still climbing. He tried spiraling down, but that only worsened his nausea and did nothing for his hands. When he finally landed, he dumped his gear, walked 200 meters away, and found a spot to cry and warm his hands. His lesson: he should have brought the cross-country warm mittens. "Anything," he says, would have been better than nothing.

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8:16Comparing the Advance Theta ULS and Gin Bandit 2

The next day brought a completely opposite experience. In the morning, Tarquin flew the Advance Theta ULS (Ultra Light Sport), an ultralight mid-EN-B adventure tourer. In the afternoon, he flew the Gin Bandit 2, also an ultralight mid-EN-B. What makes this comparison interesting is that Marcus King, a highly experienced pilot who normally flies two-liner EN-C gliders, had the opposite impression of both wings.

Marcus loved the Theta, finding it responsive and sporty with just a bit more security than a C-wing. He liked the Bandit 2 less, feeling it softened reactions too much—almost as if it had no pitch, giving him less control. Tarquin, a relatively newer pilot, felt the opposite. He absolutely loved the Bandit 2, finding it comfortable, confident, and secure. The Theta felt twitchy to him; during one turn he pulled the brake a bit too hard and nearly went into a spiral. "Some people will love that," he says. "It's very talkative."

Tarquin acknowledges that part of his preference may have been influenced by conditions. His morning flight on the Theta was in weak, scratchy air where he spent half an hour struggling to stay up. His afternoon flight on the Bandit 2 was in strong conditions: he climbed to 3,000 meters with Charlie and Marcus, and Marcus led them into the deep Écrins mountains for a magical flight. He landed with "the biggest smile on my face of all time."

The hosts note that the mid-EN-B market is currently very active. The Ozone Vibe GT has just been released (though it was not at the Testivol), and Niviuk has the Hiko. Bastien Wentzel is writing a major feature on the mid-EN-B category for the next issue. The current issue (264) focuses on EN-C gliders, which have also split into a "standard" EN-C and a "sports class" upper-level EN-C, with wings like the Advance Tau ULS pushing into racy territory.

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12:28Ariel Zlatkovski: 100 Hundred-Kilometer Flights in One Year

Ed introduces what he considers the standout feature of issue 264: the story of Ariel Zlatkovski, who set himself the goal of flying 100 flights of 100 km or more in 12 months, tracked on XContest. The article is one of the longest and most in-depth the magazine has ever run—about 7,000 words. Ed describes it as both inspiring and cautionary.

Ariel is an experienced pilot who knows the best flying locations intimately: India, Colombia, Italy, Switzerland, France, and Austria. He achieved his goal—spoiler alert—but at significant personal cost. The project consumed his life. He missed family occasions, could not fly back to the US as planned, and became a "slave" to the goal. On good days when conditions might have supported a 200 km flight, he would stop at 120 km because he knew he had to fly again the next day. On bad days, he was often the only pilot in the air, putting himself in risky situations.

He had several near misses. In one incident, he hit an electricity pylon on launch, seriously injuring himself. He was hospitalized but was back flying within days. His harness and glider were totaled. He went through three gliders over the course of the year. He spent over 800 hours in the air—an extraordinary amount, but the fun "went way out the window."

There were high points. In Bir Billing, India, he completed an out-and-return 100 km flight without making a single 360-degree turn—he simply soared along the ridges for 50 km, turned, and came back. He did 37 of his 100 km flights in India alone during October and November. But the emotional toll was severe: he describes being "devastated" when he made 95 km or 80 km, falling short of his target. Ed reflects that being devastated by a 95 km flight is "not the point of the sport at all."

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18:24Ferdi Vogel's Masterclass: Triangles and Droplets

For pilots who want to fly just one 100 km flight, the magazine includes a Masterclass from Ferdi Vogel, CEO of Nova and an XC coach. He shares two key visualization techniques.

The first is the "triangle theory": when flying in the Alps, visualize the landscape in triangles. Ridges, tree lines, and valley formations often form triangular shapes, and the apex of each triangle is where thermals are likely to be released. By training yourself to see these triangles, you can predict where lift will form.

The second is about how to imagine thermals themselves. Many pilots talk about the earth releasing thermals like "honey"—thick and sticky. Ferdi argues this is misleading. Instead, he says, think of condensation droplets on your tent. Water droplets form, grow, and then release. This is a better analogy for how thermals bubble off the terrain.

Tarquin adds that Krigel Maurer, a legendary Swiss pilot, also talks about visualizing air as water flowing over terrain. He says this changed everything for him. Similarly, Fabi Boulle was once struggling to understand valley winds and airflow until a friend took him to a river and told him to watch the water flowing over rocks—where it tumbles, where it rotors, where it turns back on itself, where it flows faster. That is exactly how air moves in the mountains. Tarquin's advice: "Go and sit by a river and watch the river and become a Jedi Master of aerology."

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20:34Paramotoring Iceland: Ryan Southwell's Photography

The episode shifts to a paramotoring feature on Iceland, presented as a photo essay by American photographer and filmmaker Ryan Southwell. The images are stunning, capturing Iceland's otherworldly landscapes—volcanoes with unpronounceable names like Vatnajökull Glacier, the Northern Lights, and terrain that served as the backdrop for *Game of Thrones*.

Tarquin notes that seeing the images on the printed page revealed details he missed on screen. Ed pointed out that one photo actually contains three wings, though Tarquin had only spotted two. The feature inspires a desire to fly there. Tarquin shares his own travel-writing memories of Iceland: trekking across the country on an Icelandic pony, diving (or snorkeling) between the tectonic plates of America and Eurasia in water as clear as Evian bottled water but cold enough to require a dry suit, and driving through rugged, beautiful locations.

He recalls a story from a pilot who was flying in Iceland when an earthquake hit. The pilot said the entire hillside began tumbling rocks, and the air itself started to vibrate. He could feel the earth move from 300 meters up, transmitted through his glider and lines. Tarquin contrasts this with his own experience of feeling vibrations during an electrical storm on a mountain—an unpleasant experience he saves for another day.

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24:20Kerio Valley Records and the Hang Gliding vs. Paragliding Rivalry

Ed highlights the Kerio Valley roundup, a major feature in the magazine. The Kerio Valley in Kenya is a big escarpment where pilots go in January and February to fly out-and-return routes. This year was a record season.

Titi Macquet and his wife Blandine set a new tandem paragliding out-and-return world record of 252 km. They flew on a Swift Max 2 glider and used a homemade pod harness cobbled together for two people. This was their second consecutive year setting a record there.

More notably, Jeremy Soper became the first hang glider pilot known to fly the Kerio Valley, setting a new hang gliding world record of 363 km. Ed interviewed Jeremy, who is a 30-year-old hang glider pilot—a notably younger demographic than the typical hang glider community. Jeremy has no interest in paragliding; he always wanted to fly "face down." He is on a "one-man mission" to keep the major distance records in the hands of hang glider pilots.

In the interview clip, Jeremy explains his motivation. He believes that for prospective pilots choosing between hang gliding and paragliding, the unique selling point of hang gliding must be its superior performance. Paragliding is far more convenient and logistically easier. If hang gliders are not flying further and setting bigger records, there is no compelling reason for new pilots to take it up. He notes that the paragliding out-and-back record (set in Chile) is 350 km, only 15 km behind his 363 km. "It's an existential crisis for hang gliding if paragliders are not only more convenient but flying further as well," he says. He adds that the rivalry is friendly—he spends most of his time flying with paraglider pilots because there are so few hang gliders. In fact, he was the only hang glider in the Kerio Valley this year. His glider is now stuck in Kenya because he shipped it on a one-way ticket, giving him "extra incentive to go back next year."

Tarquin notes that the hang gliding open distance record is over 745 km, while the paragliding record is 605 km, so there is still a gap. But the triangle record is now essentially equal, with paragliders matching hang gliders in France.

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29:24What's Coming Up and Closing

Ed and Tarquin discuss what they are working on for the next issue. There will be a big feature on mid-EN-B gliders, a travel and adventure section, and an in-depth article on eyewear for pilots—Tarquin reveals that everything he thought he knew about sunglasses is wrong. They have also been analyzing their readership survey, which shows that most Cross Country readers are experienced pilots: more than half have flown 100 km, 15–20% have flown over 200 km, and the majority fly high-EN-B or EN-C gliders. This means the readership is highly informed and quick to point out any mistakes.

Upcoming events include the PWC in Brazil and the Monte Grappa Trophy over Easter weekend in Bassano, Italy—the first big international competition of the year. Last year was washed out by a tornado; they hope for better conditions this year. The Alps have already had an amazing start, with the first 200 km flight in early March and over 4,500 flights logged on both days of the first weekend.

For pilots looking to restart their season, the magazine's website offers a newsletter campaign with six articles on how to get back into flying. Additionally, the new book *101 Ways to Fly Better* has sold over 1,000 copies on pre-order. It is an updated techniques book co-authored by Bruce Goldsmith, Greg Hammerton, Theo de Blic, and others, bringing the "techniques book bible" up to 2026.

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Conclusion

This episode matters because it captures the tension at the heart of adventure sports: the drive to push limits versus the wisdom to know when to stop. Tarquin's cold-hands incident is a small, relatable mistake with big consequences. Ariel Zlatkovski's story is a larger, more sobering version of the same theme—a goal that started as passion became an obsession that cost him joy, safety, and relationships. And Jeremy Soper's mission to keep hang gliding relevant through record-setting is a reminder that even in niche sports, the battle for performance and prestige is real. The episode leaves the listener with practical advice (visualize thermals as water droplets, not honey), gear insights (the mid-EN-B market is thriving), and a sense that the best flying comes not from chasing numbers but from being present in the moment.

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Key takeaways

• Tarquin's painful flight to 3,200 meters without gloves is a reminder that warm-weather launches can turn cold at altitude; always carry mittens, even if it seems unnecessary.
• The Advance Theta ULS and Gin Bandit 2 are both mid-EN-B ultralight wings, but they suit different pilot personalities: the Theta is more talkative and sporty, while the Bandit 2 feels more secure and comfortable for newer pilots.
• Ariel Zlatkovski flew 100 flights of 100 km or more in one year, spending over 800 hours in the air, but the goal became a prison that cost him family time, safety, and the joy of flying.
• Ferdi Vogel's Masterclass teaches two visualization techniques: look for triangles in the terrain to find thermals, and imagine thermals as condensation droplets (not honey) for a more accurate mental model.
• Jeremy Soper set a hang gliding world record of 363 km in Kenya's Kerio Valley, and argues that hang gliding faces an "existential crisis" if paragliders continue to match or exceed its performance records.
• The mid-EN-B market is currently very active, with new wings from Advance, Gin, Ozone, and Niviuk, and a major comparative feature is coming in the next issue of Cross Country magazine.
• The Monte Grappa Trophy over Easter weekend is the first big international competition of the year; the Alps have already seen strong early-season flying, with the first 200 km flight in early March.