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Norwegian speed flying ace Kristoffer Hofstad recently posted this terrifying incident to his Instagram page. Last year sometime, he was flying near home when he tried to fly a tight line in this exposed couloir. As they say in golf, he came up a little short. But in the game of speed flying, in cost him dearly.
Speed flying is the faster, more dynamic little brother of paragliding. Athletes use a much smaller wing so they can carry more speed and the flying is done low to the ground (low proximity). Many practitioners do it with skis in the winter. Like Hofstad. He wrote this detailed description of his injuries on Instagram:
“(Just) over a year ago, I got ‘a little’ too eager during a flight. Ended up with a crash down a chute, helicopter to hospital, full trauma unit, CT and the whole package.
The short story: The cause of the incident was composed of several small human stupid choices that resulted in the accident. Changed original flight plan just before takeoff, second trip with new wing, first trip with skis on legs with new wing.
Noticed at the start of the turn that this wasn’t going, but at that point I couldn’t cancel (No plan B!).
Got a reality check, but fortunately escaped with only a rupture in S4 and S5, #kardashianbooty and sitting for a few weeks after the incident. Fly safe, there will be a day tomorrow too.”
It’s a dangerous game (how’s that black and blue tattoo on Hofstad’s derriere?). In 2016, we filmed speed flyer Will Burks near his home in Sun Valley, Idaho. He spoke of the dangers involved. It was sobering, to say the least. You can see that, below.
