Chrigel Maurer

Christian "Chrigel" Maurer is a Swiss extreme sportsman and one of the best paraglider pilots in the world. Growing up in the Bernese Oberland, he took to the skies for the first time at the age of 7 with his father in a tandem paraglider. After passing his paragliding test, he was finally "free as a bird" at 16 and decided to become a competition pilot.

in 2009, he took part in the "Red Bull X-Alps" hike-and-fly competition for the first time - and won outright. Since then, he has defended his top position and has remained unbeaten in subsequent competitions. Despite his many years of flying experience, the moment of landing at the Red Bull X-Alps after crossing the Alps is still a highlight for him. He achieved his third victory in a record time of six days and 23 hours. Chrigel Maurer is married, has two children and also works as a coach, paragliding instructor and speaker.

Chrigel Maurer,

A MAURER NAMED MAURER BECOMES ONE OF THE BEST PARAGLIDER PILOTS IN THE WORLD. A RIDICULOUS STORY...
"That's right. When I started my paragliding training at the age of 15, I was looking for a career that would enable me to fulfil my dream of flying as quickly as possible. I actually wanted to become a car mechanic. However, when I found out at school that it was quicker to earn a few more francs as a bricklayer, the decision was made. So I was able to buy my first paragliding equipment and start flying. It was also nice to work outside. At least I've kept that up - even though I now tend to look at construction sites from above."

TODAY YOU ARE A PROFESSIONAL PARAGLIDER PILOT. HOW CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT?
"My life now consists of quite a colourful mix, which provides a lot of variety. In the classic sense, of course, I'm busy with office work, weather forecasts and endurance and strength training. I also always plan enough time with my family. In the winter months, I'm always on the road with a lecture tour. I organise various training courses for companies and give presentations. I also pass on my experience to pilots and coach them individually during a joint tandem flight. Of course, the rest of my time is dedicated to preparing for competitions. Depending on the project, the training and preparation is of course very intensive. Switzerland offers the perfect conditions for this. With the mountains on your doorstep, you have everything you need for balanced training right here."

FROM SALZBURG TO MONACO - ACROSS THE ALPS IN 11 DAYS - ON FOOT OR BY PARAGLIDER: THE X-ALPS COMPETITION IS CONSIDERED ONE OF THE TOUGHEST ADVENTURE RACES IN THE WORLD. Haveyou always wanted to take part in it?
"Quite the opposite! My focus was actually on classic competition flying, i.e. European Championships, World Cup etc. Then in 2003, one of my colleagues, Kaspar Henny, took part in the race. He won, which was an incredible moment for all of us. I was incredibly fascinated by the challenge, but I thought I would never be able to do it. However, the thought of the race never left me over the next few years, which is why I slowly started to develop my endurance training."

YOU HAVE NOW WON THE RACE EIGHT TIMES IN A ROW. WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IN EVERY RACE?
"The special thing about the competition is that you never know where you'll end up. It's a real adventure. In a marathon, you know the route exactly. With X-Alps, you never know whether you will fly a certain section with a paraglider or whether you will have to walk it. You not only need flying skills, but also a high level of endurance and good partners."

HAVE YOU ALREADY DETERMINED YOUR NEXT GOAL THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO ACHIEVE?
"To be honest, consistency is my biggest goal. Faster, further, higher - that's not my motto. I'm already fast and high - why should I fly even faster and even higher if the risk increases to an extreme? If I win the next X-Alps competition again, then that will be an incredible success for me. There are also so many beautiful places, like the Himalayas, where I haven't flown yet. These are not competition goals, but these milestones are just as important to me."

THAT'S A VERY HEALTHY ATTITUDE TO PROFESSIONAL SPORTS, IS IT?
"I think so. The challenge of maintaining my records is just as big a challenge as the next unknown competition."

HOW DID THE COLLABORATION WITH LOWA COME ABOUT? AS A GLEITSCHIRM PILOT, YOU ARE ALSO AN EXOT IN THE LOWA PRO TEAM, WHICH IS MAINLY COMPOSED OF ALPINISTS.
"Oh yes! Of course we are very different here. But what unites us is our love of the mountains. Everyone has their own background, but we are all professional athletes. That was also the reason why I started talking to LOWA. René Urfer, Managing Director of LOWA Switzerland at the time, found the fact that I didn't have a mountaineering background particularly exciting. We quickly came to an agreement and I have been flying under the LOWA logo since 2008. I am particularly pleased that I can now also contribute my input to the development of new shoes. After all, I mainly use the lightweight, sporty models and I'm excited to see where developments in this area are heading."