Hi there, everybody. Welcome to another episode of the Cloud Base 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,
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.
In the meantime, please enjoy this very interesting talk, very interesting and very kind person, Patrick Von Cannell. Cheers.
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.
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.
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
it? What is
your history, your kind of resume history, your brief history with paragliding? When did you start flying and take us up to now?
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.
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.
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
were you kind of instantly involved in cross country? Or what were those early years when you turned 16? What did those look like?
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.
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, Crickle was coming as well. So I was quite early together with these two nice people, with Crickle and Michi. And so it was... Amazing mentors....was starting, yeah. And
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?
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 Crickle. 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.
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
in national competition. And then 2015, I was able to fly my first PWD. In Brazil. And yeah, so it was starting slowly.
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?
Yeah. Now it's like nine years.
Nine years. Okay. You're 25?
Yes. Now I'm 24. But in July, I get 25. Okay.
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?
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.
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?
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?
Yeah, exactly. Yeah, it's a good question.
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...
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
much do you credit your success in the Swiss league and PWC and the competitions to acro? How important is having that acro component?
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.
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.
Have you ever if you ever had an accident?
Not in working but not in flying. Yeah.
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.
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 teachers 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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. 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
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.
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.
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 Vichy 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.
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.
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
scared or or what what part was scary.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
quite hard to say they are so a lot hard to say. Well yeah no say say
more if you want to say them all.
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
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.
Are there are there certain things that stand out.
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.
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 Crickle 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 Crickle is.
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.
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.
That's yeah that's that's a good point. I actually hadn't mentioned of all the things I always say positively about Crickle. 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.
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.
Actually it started when when I had the. Oh when you when
you found out when you when you when you were. Yeah.
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.
And they are. Profis or. I don't know how to say that but. And together with Crickle. We made the training plan for me. As well of. For Crickle. 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.
From Crickle. 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. Crickle. Is more. Like. With. His. Experience. He. He. Said. Maybe.
You can. Try. This. Shoes. And. A. Train. More. Little. Bit. Like.
In. The. Same. Way. And. That. Was. Very. Funny. Because. Sometimes. We. Thomas. Crickle. 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.
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.
Patrick. Can. You. Give. Me. Can. You. Because. Thomas. Is. Kind. Of.
You. That. Have. Helped. You. Prepare.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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. Crickle. And. In. His. History.
To. Make. The. Metro. By. Our. Own. And. We. Have. This. This. Person. That. Makes. In. The. Background. This. Overview.
Something. That. I. Have. Found. Really. Surprising. In. 2015. Crickle. 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.
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. 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.
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.
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.
And. It's. Easier. You. Can. Just. Train. Where. Are. Until. The. Race. And. Then. You. Go.
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.
Smallest. Thing. That. We. Do. Make. We. Go. Next. Week. To. This. Border. Race. In. Our. Show. And. There. To. Have. A. Look.
Different. And. Then. You. Have. To. Decide. By. Your. Own. So.
You've. You've. Competed. Now. With. Chrigel. A. Couple. Times. In. The. Eiger. Fly. Or. Sorry. The.
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.
Be. Than. Crickle. 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.
Does. Thomas. Talk. About. That. You. Know. I've. Often. Thought. About. That. You. In. 2015.
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. 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. 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.
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.
You.
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.
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.
Finally.
No. More. Training. We. Get. To. Go. Have. Fun. Absolutely.
Patrick. I. Want. To. Be. Mindful. Of. Your. Time. I've. Just. Got. A. Few. I. Haven't. Done. This. In. A.
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.
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.
Hmm. Hmm.
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.
Do.
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.
Like. I. Said. In. The. Beginning. I. Was. So. Lucky. I. Was. Every. Time. On. The. Right. Point. I. In. The.
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.
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.
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.
Yeah. That's. I. Think. Something. That. Many. Many. Pilots.
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.
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.
In. This. Point. I. Can. Make. Quite. Big. Steps. Forward. And. Yeah. That's. The. Only. Thing. At. The. Moment. That. I. Think.
What. Negative. Experience. So. What. Bad. Experience. In.
The.
Case.
The. End. Life. And. The. I. Learn. Quite. A. Lot. In. This. Time.
And. On. The. End. which was also a good part in my life.
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.
Thank you. It's good to meet you, even though it's not important. I'm
not a native person,
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.
Yeah, thanks, too. And I wish you also good luck. And, yes, see you soon in Salzburg. And thanks a lot.
Thanks, Patrick. Appreciate it.
Thanks. If
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