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94. Patrick Von Kanel and the greatest Game on Earth - Patrick Von Kanel

// Gavin McClurg, Patrick Von Kanel · 2019-06-12 · 00:57:27 · original episode · pdf

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[show notes]

Patrick Von Kanel is only 25 years old but in a few days he’ll be one of the athletes to really watch in the Red Bull X-Alps. His mentors include Michael and Chrigel Maurer, he’s a test pilot for Advance, he’s big, he’s strong, he’s of course Swiss (no non-Swiss pilot has ever won the X-Alps), he’s solid in acro and he came in second in his last two hike and fly races- to the Eagle himself, Chrigel Maurer. In this episode we learn about what he’s learned from these incredible mentors, Chrigel’s X-Alps specific academy, tips and secrets to stay safe, once again the importance of ground handling, maintaining the drive when you fly so much, tips and strategies for the race, how Patrick has been training for the race and a lot more. An intriguing conversation with an exceptional pilot and athlete. Enjoy! By the way- I apologize for my intro saying it was 2 weeks until the race, we put up Wolfi Siess in the last episode. It’s only 4 days!

Show Notes: Patrick describes his history and being mentored by Chrigel and Michael Maurer What’s the most important things to build from to stay safe Training tips and strategies Mental training with Thomas Theurillat How to prepare for something as huge as the Red Bull X-Alps What changes should we all make- not just in flying, but in life

Mentioned in this episode: Chrigel Maurer, Michael Maurer, Advance Paragliders, Michael Witschi, FlywithAndy.com, Thomas Theurillat, OneDay, Martin Scheel


Source: https://www.cloudbasemayhem.com/episode-94-patrick-von-kanel-and-the-greatest-game-on-earth/

[transcript]

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0:26Gavin McClurg

Hi there, everybody. Welcome to another episode of the Cloudbase Mayhem. If I've got this right, we are about 16 days from the start of the Red Bull X-Alps, so I thought it'd be appropriate to have Patrick Von Cannell on. He is a young guy with a lot of talent. He's a test pilot for Advance. Chrigel is one of his mentors. He's been going to Chrigel's X-Alps kind of training academy, which I didn't even know existed. That sounds pretty scary. And, yeah, he started hike and fly races last year with the Ironfly and the Eiger Tour, and then he got invited to the big show. So we talk about training and progression and a little bit about risk, but also having amazing mentors in Chrigel and Chrigel's brother, Michael Maurer,

1:13Gavin McClurg

and we talk about X-Alps. So I thought that'd be appropriate given the time of the year and given the big show is happening here in a couple weeks. So, yeah. That's about all I got. I don't have much housekeeping. We are all transitioned over to our new subscription service on the website. We've got lots of bonus content up there for subscribers and more and more coming all the time, so go check that out at cloudbasemayhem.com. If you're having any trouble logging in or you should have an account, regardless of whether you support us financially or not, I do not want finances to be something that keeps you from getting all the content of the mayhem. Just ask that you be a subscriber to our newsletter, but if you've bought swag or anything, or supported us in the past, you should have a lifetime subscription. So if that's not working for you, let me know.

1:58Gavin McClurg

In the meantime, please enjoy this very interesting talk, very interesting and very kind person, Patrick Von Cannell. Cheers.

2:14Gavin McClurg

Patrick, so good to have you on the show. I'm really excited to sit down and talk with you. I'd love to do this live in a few weeks when I get over to Europe, but I know things are going to be crazy and busy for both of us, so I thought it'd be good to just get this one in. And release it before the gun goes off in Salzburg. But thank you so much for coming on the show. We've had a lot of requests, especially from our Swiss listeners, to talk to you, so welcome. Thank you.

2:43Patrick Von Kanel

I have to say thank you for that I can come in and say something from my side. It's cool. Maybe for that people that don't know me quite good, I have to say my English is not the best. I try my best, and hopefully you will understand all what I say or what I mean.

3:04Gavin McClurg

Yeah, your English is great. We had a few minutes to chat here before we started recording, and I think you'll get through no problem. Patrick, let's start with your history a little bit. I watched you compete last summer in the Iron Fly. That was kind of my first time getting really familiar with your name. But what is

3:27Patrick Von Kanel

it? What is

3:27Gavin McClurg

your history, your kind of resume history, your brief history with paragliding? When did you start flying and take us up to now?

3:38Patrick Von Kanel

Yeah, I grew up in Fruttigen. It's in the Swiss mountains close to Interlaken. And I grew up with paragliding because my parents, they started quite early. My father is a mountaineer and was, because of that, a lot in the mountain. And he started, I don't know, but in the beginning of the 90s, he started flying and after my mother as well. So I grew up with that. And then for me, it was no question. It was normal that I want to fly as well. But I had to wait until 16. This is the age that you have to start paragliding in Switzerland.

4:27Patrick Von Kanel

So I earned some money to start paragliding over the summer in a summer job. And then when I get 16, I was able to make this my dream true to start paragliding. And yeah, it was normal. I was in the school.

4:50Patrick Von Kanel

And after I made, I don't know how to say that, but I worked in the forest. Right. I was cutting the trees there. And I made that. And on the day off, I went to flying. It was like that. And

5:09Gavin McClurg

were you kind of instantly involved in cross country? Or what were those early years when you turned 16? What did those look like?

5:20Patrick Von Kanel

Yeah, it was, we had quite a nice school or we have a nice school here. And this is good together with the club. And there was many pilots. They flew very well cross country. So I went with these people. So I made my first cross country flights at my home in the Alps. But short time after the exam, I was together with Michael Maurer. This is the younger brother of mine. And he was, at this time, he was made a lot of acrobatics. So on the weekends, when the weather was not good for cross country, I went with Michi to Murren.

6:14Patrick Von Kanel

This is a famous spot for acro paragliding. And I learned a lot from him, like for these acro maneuvers. And it was good fun. And sometimes, Chrigel was coming as well. So I was quite early together with these two nice people, with Chrigel and Michi. And so it was... Amazing mentors....was starting, yeah. And

6:43Gavin McClurg

I understand, I'm looking at your bio on the Red Bull X-Alps site. Of course, you're competing here in June in your first X-Alps. But you've done a lot of flying in the Swiss League and a lot of competition flying. I understand the Swiss have a pretty active juniors program. I know the French have that. Is there kind of a mentorship program that they put you into when you're young and learning?

7:14Patrick Von Kanel

No, it's not like this. I mean, the Swiss League, they put a lot of energy and a lot of work to push the young pilots. But to get in, it's not so... It's hard to say. It's not so easy because this competition flying is not so famous in Switzerland. Or when I started, it was just Michi and Chrigel. They flew competition at this time. So for me, it was, yeah, the local people, they went only for cross country. So it was... It was hard to go as well with Michi because the most people said, I don't fly competition.

8:05Patrick Von Kanel

I just want to go free flying. So it's hard to go in because you have not so a lot of minds. They say, oh, yeah, go for competition. So I think you have to be this type of person to like the competition. And I'm a little bit of that. So I was trying to go with Michi on the first competition. It's more small competition. But I was liking very well. And so I started to compete first

8:50Patrick Von Kanel

in national competition. And then 2015, I was able to fly my first PWD. In Brazil. And yeah, so it was starting slowly.

9:03Gavin McClurg

You started slowly, but you've come on strong in the last few years. It sounds like you've been flying eight, nine years now. Is that correct?

9:14Patrick Von Kanel

Yeah. Now it's like nine years.

9:16Gavin McClurg

Nine years. Okay. You're 25?

9:20Patrick Von Kanel

Yes. Now I'm 24. But in July, I get 25. Okay.

9:25Gavin McClurg

For the race. Oh, man, you're a pup. I'm jealous. So you, just going through this, you're now, well, before we talk about advance, you had some big flights down in Brazil, 513. Were you part of that whole Swiss crew? Was that this fall when you guys were towing out of Keiko?

9:48Patrick Von Kanel

Yeah, it was from Keiko. Okay. But not 2018. It was 2017. It was the first time. Okay. Yeah, it was already one and a half year ago. Yeah.

10:03Gavin McClurg

What's been the most important thing in your progression? Has it been flying with Michael and Chrigel and just flying recreationally? Or has it been the competitions?

10:18Gavin McClurg

How have you progressed so quickly? Because I know you've been doing it. I know like now you're a test pilot for advance as well. Correct?

10:27Patrick Von Kanel

Yeah, exactly. Yeah, it's a good question.

10:34Patrick Von Kanel

I think it's so many points. I was so lucky on different points. I think first I made the school and after the school I made or I learned a job over the winter. I was trying. I'm acrobatic. And I think that is one of the biggest point that I went with Chrigel and Michi. So they showed me what is possible with the paraglider. And I'm a little bit a person that want to compete. And I was trying as well to make this. So when I remember me back the ground spiral for me was...

11:21Patrick Von Kanel

Yeah. It was clearly that I want to learn that as well. So I started three months after the exam. I started this to learn this ground spiral because Michi and Chrigel they made all the time this ground spiral. And it's steps or points like that that I think it's for me it's a point that I made this progress. How

11:55Gavin McClurg

much do you credit your success in the Swiss league and PWC and the competitions to acro? How important is having that acro component?

12:08Patrick Von Kanel

Yeah. It's a good point. I think when I started with to try the helico for me, it's like you make maybe 10 steps forward, because if you know very well where is the point for the deep stall, you can fly shortly much more aggressive and safer, for sure. And this was I think this is one of the important point now when I want to make a safe top landing or when it's turbulent when I know I can go to the stall point. I say 99 % and I can wait here.

12:55Patrick Von Kanel

So, but I know that I am, I've been on the stall point, but when I don't know where the stall point are, so then it's, it's very dangerous, and I think this is one of the, of the part what I learned in acro.

13:15Gavin McClurg

Have you ever if you ever had an accident?

13:17Patrick Von Kanel

Not in working but not in flying. Yeah.

13:22Gavin McClurg

What about other tips that you've gotten from from Michael and and Chrigel? I want to spend a good portion of our talk talking about the the ex-alps but before we get there you know you've had this incredible opportunity really to to fly and train with the best in the world. What what are some of the things can you share with our audience that they have stressed to not not only to. To cover big distances, but to to stay safe, and it may be if you could extend that to mental—the mental side to—so not just the technical side, you know, like acro training and deep stall, but where your mind needs to be.

14:11Patrick Von Kanel

Just for the mind it's it's hard to say I think it may be one when I say that it's it's also one technical thing. But it was. Just in the beginning, when I started, it was from my teacher. My teacher's say, "It's very important to feel so comfortable in ground handling," and the ground handling is, is I think it's, it's so a good basic to start paragliding, and we do it so often. So I think this is for my side, it's, it's also. A big. Well or like a tip to the to the people or to the paragliding community that it's they do so often this ground handling and I think if you do often this ground handling and feel comfortable.

15:07Patrick Von Kanel

And when you when you are in ground handling so you are also stronger in the head because on the takeoff and it's. When it's like, when it's a little bit windy, you can remember back when you was on the ground when it was very safe and say, well, let's say 20 K wind, you know, you can control the wind. And then it's for you, it's more relaxed, you're on the takeoff and it's a 20 K wind because you know, on the ground, I was able to do that, and I think it's, it's things like that. When you can mix the the practical thing with with the head when you can.

15:55Patrick Von Kanel

Try something in a safe area and then make this in the real like let's say and take off so it's also good for the head.

16:07Gavin McClurg

Your bio here says to that because you're a test pilot for advance you're getting about 500 hours a year which is a lot. Do you do you struggle at all with motivation or you know when you're when you're flying that much it's. That's a lot 500 hours a year and there's not many people in the world that get that many. If you found there's ever lulls in your desire is it ever too much.

16:38Patrick Von Kanel

It's funny because actually today I had a nice call with the friend and we were talking about that. That's actually, it's, it's, it's quite hard to get motivated when you fly so a lot of hours in a year. The first year, it's, it's, it's okay, but then the years after, if you do it every year like that, it, for me, it's, it's quite hard to keep the motivation under percent and have fun all the time in the air. So now. Especially as well for the Excel, I am out to say that I stay a little bit relaxed.

17:25Patrick Von Kanel

Do something out there I like to do quite a lot, this foil kite thing, so I do more kiting. So I like, I stay on the ground to have the motivation, and when I get on the start as high as possible and. Yeah the rest it's. It's different it's. When it looks like a good. X a day or for cross country. Then it's it's quite easy to motivate because the motivation is to fly as far as possible or fly the biggest distance in the.

18:09Patrick Von Kanel

In on that day. But the difficult part is when when it looks good and use make a plan. What, what I want to fly, and then I'm in the air, but I know I see all the day it's not so good as I expect. So then it's, it's quite hard to keep the motivation high, and then sometimes I can't make a new goal, so I, I go land and make something other is

18:43Gavin McClurg

your is your living is your income all 100 percent through paragliding. Now is it just through the being a test pilot or are you still involved in trees. Is there are there other sources of income.

18:56Patrick Von Kanel

No it's 200 percent. I know. Wow. That means I work 80 percent for four hours. And at the moment it's it's it's quite a lot that's maybe too much because the preparing needs more for themselves need more time. But overall it's it's it's good. And I can live quite comfortable here in Switzerland like that. Yeah.

19:29Gavin McClurg

Yeah. That's that's good to be able to live comfortably in Switzerland. It's not a cheap place. Very expensive. But OK. Well we're going to talk. I want to talk about training and diet and risk and a lot of things with related to the race. But just before we do last year you competed in a couple of hike and fly events. I watched very closely the the iron fly. I recall the weather not being so good. Chrigel won that one. You got second. And then the Iger Iger tour Iger fly whatever they called it. They did. Michael Witschi was running which I was very interested in because he and I spent some time together in the in the 2015 race. He's a great guy. I think also Chrigel won that one and you got second.

20:15Gavin McClurg

So well done for those. Was that was. Was the X-Alps kind of already on your agenda when when you did those, or was it after those events that that the X-Alps kind of was like, maybe I should do that? Or is there is the X-Alps been a dream for years?

20:32Patrick Von Kanel

Yeah. It was the X-Alps was like maybe I don't know three or four years ago was was a dream for me especially every time when it was on the race and when I was follow you guys. When you was racing. So I was thinking all the times that it's one thing that I want to do as well. But I was very scared about the race physically

21:03Gavin McClurg

scared or or what what part was scary.

21:06Patrick Von Kanel

Yeah. Yeah. It's physical because of this huge distance that you have to walk or actually when you see the distance between salsa. And Monaco it's so big and this was really scared me and there I was know that when I have when I scared about something then I'm not ready to do that. I was talking with Chrigel many times and then he he start this X-Alps Academy together with Michu Vici and with his main sponsors with teamwork. Yeah. And this is was, yeah, it was like a big step forward for the X-Alps for me, because now we are four young pilots all have this dream to compete on the X-Alps, and this was a small step forward to to my yet my dream.

22:15Patrick Von Kanel

And then I went on this X-Alps. And we said, together with my team, it was in this time, it was in the iron fights, was the same team like now on the when we go to the X-Alps, we said we make this iron fly and after we see if we want, if we make the, if we want to make the X-Alps or if it's too early to make the X-Alps. So that was the point from the decision.

22:46Gavin McClurg

Were you were you deciding that by. By the result you know hey let's see how we do or was it more hey let's let's do it if we feel like we're safe and we're having fun and and we we operate well.

23:02Patrick Von Kanel

No it was for sure not the result. It was a really good test because the weather, as you said, that the weather was not very well, we walked a lot and that was really a good point for me because there I saw that I can walk over two, three days' big distance without problems. So that was a good point.

23:30Patrick Von Kanel

Yet this carried about the X-Alps was a little bit less than before. When when I saw that I can make this this big distances by foot.

23:43Gavin McClurg

Tell me about the the academy that Chrigel the X-Alps Academy. I think that's going to terrify any non-Swiss pilot who listens to this because no non-Swiss has ever won the X-Alps. Clearly clearly the Swiss are the folks to beat and currently of course Chrigel is you know the last five just unbelievable. But that that's amazing what what what are the main things that Chrigel is is teaching the four of you who are you know kind of his students. When it comes to the X-Alps quite

24:21Patrick Von Kanel

quite hard to say they are so a lot hard to say. Well yeah no say say

24:27Gavin McClurg

more if you want to say them all.

24:30Patrick Von Kanel

No as you know all Chrigel is a very how can I say that he is sometimes he think hundred steps forward than you. And I think it's it's every time small pieces that he give us but we can make make big steps forward with this small pieces that we get from Chrigel. It's it's so hard to say that in in in words. It's who I don't know what to say what we learned from him. It's so many so

25:16Gavin McClurg

many things. Is is the I guess what I would say let me ask you this. What do you because people ask me this all the time. You know why why is Chrigel so good. What are the things that he's doing that the rest of us aren't doing enough. Is it is there any one thing that really stands out for example strategy or route finding or reading the weather in the air. You know obviously everything adds up. It's it's all these like you said it's all these little things that he's doing that make a big difference. But do you think there's in your experience with him.

26:02Gavin McClurg

Are there are there certain things that stand out.

26:04Patrick Von Kanel

I think that the flying skills it's it's hard to say that now he have so big experience. If I I don't know maybe 20 years now more or less. And in this 20 years he have so a lot of experience. So I think that this is of course one point when I see now how Chrigel make the preparation for the X-Alps for the six times. It's huge. He he test everything. And this starts by the shooting. He have shoes. He have maybe 20 different shoes and he test every shoes in different conditions and and every cloth in different conditions.

26:57Patrick Von Kanel

And I think this is one point the motivation to prepare so good. And so exactly. I mean if if the harness 10 gram lighter than it's so a big different than somebody say 10 gram. Yeah. It's like it's like one T-shirt more or less or I don't know. And and for him it it's it's it's huge. And I think small things that make Chrigel so strong. And he say this as well when in the race over the day he when it's viable he make not big distance to the other athletes. But on the end of the day when it's when Chrigel is.

27:45Patrick Von Kanel

Let's say three minutes or two minutes faster every time when he packed the glider. And in these two minutes he walks 200 meters. And when let's say when he make he fold he pack his glider two or three time each day. And this over the whole competition it makes a distance. And when we say he can fly. Maybe 500 more meter more because he can land in a really really small place. And this in every second flight. So that means it's one K in every second flight.

28:33Patrick Von Kanel

So then when you look when you look at all on the end of the race it's it's it's quite a big distance. And I think it's also. This small. He says but if you look the overview it's quite the big big distance in this race. So I think this is also a point that make him so strong.

29:00Gavin McClurg

That's yeah that's that's a good point. I actually hadn't mentioned of all the things I always say positively about Chrigel. And I mean I knew about his packing and all those kind of things and I know he's such a professional. I mean this is what he does. And what he lives for. But I hadn't thought about that that you're right. That all really adds up those little things little things little things. Again you're back to the little things. Well with that with the academy and kind of having him as your you know kind of like a big brother. How have you approached your training. When when did it start kind of officially. And and break down your training a little bit in the last months. When did it start. And how have you how have you approached it.

29:48Gavin McClurg

Like do you have a trainer. Do you have. How have you approached the physical side as well as the things you were just talking about. You know packing fast and shoes and all the lists.

30:00Patrick Von Kanel

Actually it started when when I had the. Oh when you when

30:05Gavin McClurg

you found out when you when you when you were. Yeah.

30:08Patrick Von Kanel

Yeah exactly. When I when I saw that I accepted to. To make the eggs out. But in this moment I was in Brazil. With the together with the other Swiss pilots in Geico for distance flying. So there it was quite hard to train because we was flying the whole day and over the night. And we was driving in the car. So it was quite busy over there. But I went back. In November. And then first. We started to make a training plan. Together with the sport clinic in Bern.

30:53Patrick Von Kanel

And they are. Profis or. I don't know how to say that but. And together with Chrigel. We made the training plan for me. As well of. For Chrigel. And. We did. That was. First. The big step to make this plan because. It's. For me it was very important. So I. I saw that. What I have to do over the week and. What what was the goal end of the month. That was one thing. Physical. And then the. Second thing. Was the mental point. together with thomas doria the supporter

31:38Patrick Von Kanel

from Chrigel the first four times, yeah. And this was as well at the moment also a big part, because he helped us a lot for strategy to to have every time the the good focus on the right things. Anyway, Thomas was more for the mental. things and strategy and and how to to to have the motivation every time on the right place and Chrigel is more like with his experience he he said maybe you can try this shoes and A train

32:29Patrick Von Kanel

more little bit like

32:36Patrick Von Kanel

In the same way, and that was very funny because sometimes we, Thomas Chrigel, and I me was training together, and it's so cool to train with this two guys because when they two are together, then it's, it's fun. They have so good ideas and the, it's hard to say, but then it's, it's so A cool

33:05Patrick Von Kanel

atmosphere, and all are so motivated, and then on the of the training, you have so many ideas what you can do and and, but what are the goals and the next steps? And this was was very cool in this preparing until now

33:23Gavin McClurg

Patrick, can you give me? Can you, because Thomas is kind of

33:45Gavin McClurg

you that have helped you prepare

33:51Patrick Von Kanel

Yeah, I will try to explain. Now, one thing is, in our team is the main supporter, and then it's my father, the second.

34:15Patrick Von Kanel

to have more the tactical part and the root planning and the overview, and then my father have more the things like car driving and you have to

34:45Patrick Von Kanel

Look at made overview what we have to do, and what are the special jobs and from the different person in our team, and yeah, it's very hard to explain.

35:15Patrick Von Kanel

It's points like this, and now first we thinking, "Ah, but when we can use that? When we can use that?" But we had actually in one preparing training.

35:46Patrick Von Kanel

What we have to do now, we on the ground, so Patrick have to walk to see which is the fastest route, and my father have to look that we enough food for all. And then it was, was fine, the focus was on the right thing, and it was going forward, and then we was realized that

36:27Gavin McClurg

the team side of it, making sure everybody has delineated roles and it's all smooth and seamless and it doesn't take a lot of your own personal bandwidth. You know, that they're—they're figuring, how do you—how do you approach weather forecasting? Do you have—do have a separate weather guy or team, you know, like with Medio Swiss that feeds you information, or are your—is your team just doing it on their own on the fly?

36:57Patrick Von Kanel

No, actually we have one metro guy that makes the metro for the whole Swiss team, that means for Swiss one, two, and three, and he make little bit the overview of the metro, and then the rest we make by ourself, but course we can call like Martin Shell, he is one of the famous metro guys that's we trust Chrigel, and in his history

37:45Patrick Von Kanel

to make the metro by our own, and we have this, this person that makes in the background, this overview

37:53Gavin McClurg

Something that I have found really surprising: in 2015, Chrigel and I were sitting next to each other at the conference at the Red Bull hangar—the really famous hangar with all the planes and everything there in Salzburg—and before they started recording, we were just having a chat and he said the same. In 2017, we had dinner together one night before the prologue and said the thing that he doesn't scout the course in advance. And in this year, he said when the route was announced that maybe the

38:47Gavin McClurg

zone of, but but I found it, I found it very interesting that he doesn't, you know, there there some athletes in the race mostly for, you know, just economic reasons, or because they have job, or they don't live in the Alps, that it's really impossible to come over and and train on course line you for weeks before the race. But he lives right there, and he he says he purposefully doesn't do it because, you know, in the past with the race starting in early July, he said, you know, if he goes in May or June, even or even two weeks before the course and flies some segment of it, it's totally different two weeks later when the race is happening, and he doesn't want to have

39:35Gavin McClurg

Any preconceived notions about how to fly through that? He wants to—he wants to make that call on the day, you know, for the conditions of the day and just figure it out, because he—you know, he's so brilliant at that, obviously. But this is a long question, but my—my—my question is, are you—are you taking that same strategy, or will you try to fly and see as much of the course as possible?

40:09Patrick Von Kanel

No, that one, we use the same strategy. If you are free, or if you don't know the area, you fly more as I would say, more safe from it with more comfort. And then I think you are freer, and you have no stress; you can decide you

40:49Patrick Von Kanel

have points in on on the road where we have to choice the different roots, and yet that's the only thing that we have, and the rest we try

41:20Gavin McClurg

and it's easier, you can just train where are until the race and then you go

41:27Patrick Von Kanel

Yeah, yeah, maybe what we plan to do is to go on the of the list to see where we can start when it have south wind or or when it have east wind, something like that. I think this is the only or one of the

41:53Patrick Von Kanel

smallest thing that we do make we go next week to this border race in our show and there to have a look

42:18Patrick Von Kanel

different, and then you have to decide by your own, so

42:23Gavin McClurg

You've, you've competed now with Chrigel a couple times in the Eiger Fly, or sorry, the

42:47Patrick Von Kanel

Iron fly over here in this area. This was short after the announcement of the athletes. Chrigel said that he think I made A result, but he think that I can't make A better result than him because I have not so big experience like him, and that is that what I thought he or what I think now. He so big experience, he made it's like when we watch the route now, he know every area. 2013 I was here and I was able to fly to

43:47Patrick Von Kanel

be than Chrigel, but we try our best and yet, and we will see. We have not a ranking goal; we just want to have fun because then we, we, we a good work and we fun and then we all happy

44:08Gavin McClurg

Does Thomas talk about that? You know, I've often thought about that, you in 2015.

44:16Gavin McClurg

I had no idea, really, if I could even do it. I mean, I hadn't done any big endurance races; my racing and professional athlete background was in ski racing, you know, which is really short duration, and you know, and I was older and I bad knees, and I thought, "Wow, I just, I don't, I just have no idea, am I to be embarrassed and get eliminated or if I be able to do it?" But so our approach was very professional, I think, in terms of the preparation, but also quite relaxed, you know. I didn't, I didn't any goal of being top three or top ten or anything; it was just be safe, you know, don't get hurt and have fun. And it went pretty well in 2015, and so in 2017 I changed that, and I

45:07Gavin McClurg

Really did have some goals in terms of result, and I think that was maybe too much pressure. I don't know, in some ways I think I wanted it too badly and, and you know, it was—we made a mistake early that just really, really cost us. And so when you look at the two races, I made so many more in 2015 because we were rookies, we didn't know what we were doing, and we learned on the way. And in 2017, we didn't really make that many mistakes, but the one we made was really bad and, and wasn't even really you—I bombed out on a day that I really shouldn't have bombed out. It was, you know, one of those, you know, that just unfortunate things that happens in paragliding, and it really cost because the weather was so bad that year, but

45:54Gavin McClurg

Anyway, the point is, it does Thomas talk about that aspect, you know, like in, in, in competitions? That's something we hear a of is that, you know, if you really are serious and you really want it, bad year don't do very well, you know, if you just relaxed, you, if relaxed, you fly better. But I'm just wondering, you know, for something that's as big as the X-Alps that only comes around every couple years, it's hard to not feel that pressure, at least for me.

46:27Patrick Von Kanel

Yeah, I think for me it's at the moment it's very hard to say because I'm like you in before the race 2015, I'm a rookie, I'm don't know exactly the distance, how hard will be the race, I have no points that I can say or that

47:08Patrick Von Kanel

you

47:13Patrick Von Kanel

Are one the rookies that that the people will show very well, that makes not easy. But there is, as you said, Thomas is a really good person.

47:37Patrick Von Kanel

on our on our strategy and that we, as I said, that do that what we like to do and what we can do very well. So at the moment, we are quite relaxed, all of us. We have no stress and we just looking very forward to the start of this race.

48:03Gavin McClurg

finally

48:05Gavin McClurg

No more training, we get to go have fun. Absolutely,

48:10Gavin McClurg

Patrick, I want to be mindful of your time. I've just got a few. I haven't done this in a

48:32Gavin McClurg

While, but it's just meant you don't have to them fast, you can answer them long and however you want, but just a few kind of unrelated questions. And I thought we'd close on that because some of these—this was not for paragliding whatsoever, it was something totally different—but I thought some of these would be pretty fun, so let just ask you a few these rapid-fire questions. If you had one piece of advice for someone to succeed and

49:10Patrick Von Kanel

This wasn't what you did do yourself for me. It's, it's like this: then I have so a lot of fun, and then I do it quite well, and I think this, together with the motivation that you want to go forward and to to make progress, I think this is two points to go forward and to get that good pilot.

49:39Gavin McClurg

hmm hmm

49:41Gavin McClurg

This next question doesn't doesn't work for you because you're you're in your twenties. It was the question is if you could

50:00Gavin McClurg

do

50:03Gavin McClurg

One thing, so this is years ago. Is there anything about if you could go back to that Patrick, when he went 16, and say, "Listen, Patrick, here's what I would differently," what would that be?

50:18Patrick Von Kanel

Like I said in the beginning, I was so lucky, I was every time on the right point I in the

50:43Patrick Von Kanel

Swiss do this army things, and there are all so many things that I was so lucky, so I don't know what I will change when I when be sixteen now, so

51:01Gavin McClurg

That's great. We hope that's the same again in another ten years, which is the next question: ten years from now, what do think you regret doing too much or too little of?

51:15Patrick Von Kanel

I think too much is, is maybe the flying the that the motivation goes back and back that time will be on a point that they stop defying because I was made making too much and too little, and too little is to spend some time with, or with the girlfriend, or that's the game at the moment.

51:45Gavin McClurg

Yeah, that's I think something that many, many pilots

51:51Gavin McClurg

Struggle with, or maybe regret at some point? Is it's, it's very consuming, this thing we do. Okay, what the most important non flying thing you can do to become a better pilot?

52:06Patrick Von Kanel

I think for me, for me, because I don't like to books and and study something, I'm more the typ that that want to try something and so I think

52:38Patrick Von Kanel

In this point, I can make quite big steps forward, and yeah, that's the only thing at the moment that I think

52:51Gavin McClurg

What negative experience? So, what bad experience in

53:08Patrick Von Kanel

the

53:17Patrick Von Kanel

case

53:19Patrick Von Kanel

the end life, and the I learn quite A lot in this time

53:27Patrick Von Kanel

and on the end which was also a good part in my life.

53:35Gavin McClurg

You get a lot of perspective, don't you, from injuries. I've had many. Not from flying, thankfully, knock on wood, but over my lifetime, many, many surgeries and stuff from all kinds of mountain biking and skiing and accidents. And they always suck when they happen, but then somehow they're very good times for growing and for perspective and for learning. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, they tend to be, in retrospect, they tend to be very good things. Patrick, thank you for sharing all of this. I really appreciate it. I know it's difficult to do it in not your native language, so I really appreciate it. You did great, man.

54:20Gavin McClurg

Thank you. It's good to meet you, even though it's not important. I'm

54:24Patrick Von Kanel

not a native person,

54:25Gavin McClurg

but we'll be meeting soon enough there in Fuschel and Salzburg. I wish you the best of luck with the rest of your training for you and your team. And really looking forward to race with you and spend these amazing days in the Alps together for the X-Alps. But thank you.

54:43Patrick Von Kanel

Yeah, thanks, too. And I wish you also good luck. And, yes, see you soon in Salzburg. And thanks a lot.

54:51Gavin McClurg

Thanks, Patrick. Appreciate it.

54:52Patrick Von Kanel

Thanks. If

55:00Gavin McClurg

you find the Cloudbase Mayhem valuable, you can support it in a lot of different ways. You can give us a rating on iTunes or Stitcher or however you get your podcasts. That goes a long ways and helps spread the word. You can blog about it on your own website or share it on social media. You can talk about it on the way up to launch with your pilot friends. I know a lot of interesting conversations have happened that way. And, of course, you can support us financially. This show does take a lot of time, a lot of editing, a lot of storage and music and all kinds of behind-the-scenes costs. So if you can support us financially, all we've ever asked for is a buck a show. And you can do that through a one-time donation through PayPal or you can set up a subscription service that charges you for each show that comes out. We put a new show out every two weeks. So, for example, if you did a buck a show and every two weeks, it'd be about $25 a year.

55:46Gavin McClurg

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56:42Gavin McClurg

We don't put any of that behind a paywall. If you can't afford to support us, then just let me know and I'll set you up with an account. Of course, that'll be lifetime. And hopefully you're being in a position someday to be able to support us. But you'll find all that on the website. All of you who have supported us or even joined our newsletter or bought Cloudbase Mayhem merchandise, t-shirts or hats or anything, you should be all set up. You should have an account. You should be able to access all that bonus material now. Thank you so much for listening. I really appreciate your support and we'll see you on the next show. Thank you.

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