Skip to main content

Speed riding blends skiing with paragliding and is the next great extreme sport

If you’re already bored with skiing and snowboarding but are on the lookout for a new activity to occupy your time, why not give speed riding a go? The sport combines the best aspects of skiing and paragliding to create a new experience unlike any other and judging from a recently published video, it provides quite the adrenaline-fueled ride.

Speed riding involves skiing down a mountain with a small cloth wing or parasail attached to the skiers body. The wing provides lift which allows the speed rider to occasionally take flight, soaring over rocks, trees, or other obstacles, before gently returning to the ground to continue the descent on skis. In this way, the skier makes their way down the face of a mountain with a mix of skiing and flying, even taking flight from high cliffs along the way.

Recommended Videos

A published two-minute clip of the sport — via Red Bull, of course — was filmed on the Bossons Glacier located near Chamonix, France. Chamonix, which sits in the shadow of Mont Blanc and is considered one of the top ski destinations in the entire world, has long been a hot spot for new adventure sports. Not only do skiers and snowboarders flock to the area but it’s also a mecca for mountaineers, rock climbers, BASE jumpers, and wingsuit pilots, as well. Apparently, speed riding is the next in line to be added to this list, as the sport also traces its origins to the region.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The video features French speed rider Valentin Delluc as he makes a nighttime descent of Chamonix’s glacier. Typically, this would be a scary proposition but on the night the short film was captured, a bright full moon hung in the sky overhead. To help himself out, Delluc strapped 20 meters of LED lights to his parasail which illuminates his way. The result is an amazing bit of him skiing and flying through the French Alps.

According to Red Bull, the 25-year old Delluc spent seven months training for his midnight run. He came up with the idea of speed riding at night back in the summer of 2016 but it took plenty of planning and preparation to get the video just right. Part of this preparation involved perfecting his illuminated wing, which went through several iterations before he got it exactly right.

In the end, the entire run was filmed in a single take as he covered 1,500 vertical meters in 4 minutes and 20 seconds. The video takes the best shots from that run, giving viewers a true sense of what speed riding is all about.

Kraig Becker
Kraig Becker is a freelance outdoor writer who loves to hike, camp, mountain bike, trail run, paddle, or just about any other…
Be ready for storm season: Dual fuel portable generator is $150 off today
Pulsar dual fuel portable generator with gas can in background

Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that a ton of early Black Friday deals have dropped. There are the usual suspects like laptops, electronics, gaming gear, and beyond. But me, I prefer to pick up unusual items during the huge holiday sales. You know exactly what I mean, the kind of stuff that doesn't usually go on sale any other time. One of those items is a portable generator. Where I live it seems like they rarely go on sale, and when you need them most they're never in stock. People flock to the stores to buy them just before a big storm. Well, right now, Pulsar and Walmart have an incredible deal on a 12,000-watt dual-fuel generator. Normally $900 it's down to $749 which saves you $151. It can run for up to 12 hours on an 8-gallon fuel tank.

 
Why shop the Pulsar 12,000-watt dual-fuel portable generator for Black Friday?

Read more
The BLUETTI Handsfree 2 is a solar backpack and power station — It’s $200 off
BLUETTI Handsfree 2 solar backpack and power station -- black friday deal

While you're busy shopping through all of the Best Cyber Monday deals, here's a little something that might pique your interest. You'll be even more excited if you spend a lot of time outdoors or off-grid. You might want to wait on grabbing that Cyber Monday portable power station deal. Allow me to explain. The BLUETTI Handsfree 2 is a backpack, like any other outdoor pack you might encounter, except for one thing. It's also a power station and solar generator. Believe me when I say this thing is insane and super useful. But for Cyber Monday, there's a deal that includes the BLUETTI Handsfree 2 and a 100-watt solar panel to charge it on the go. Normally $799, it's yours for just $599, saving you $200. Wow. You have to read what it can all do, so don't leave just yet.

 
Why buy the BLUETTI Handsfree 2 solar backpack and power station?

Read more
Cyber Monday is here: Shop these snow blower deals while you can!
The Ego 24-inch Self-Propelled 2-Stage XP Snow Blower on a white background.

When you think of Cyber Monday, you might think of Cyber Monday TV deals, but now is also the time for more practical items like snow blowers. We’ve picked out all the best Cyber Monday snow blower deals with big savings on popular brands, and we’ve also taken the time to provide you with some buying advice so you know what to look for when buying one.

With so many different snow blowers out there, we’ve considered everything you need to know about and included different budgets in our decision-making process, too. Read on, and we’ll take you through all these great Cyber Monday deals. If you’re looking for something a little more fun (but still practical), we’ve picked out all the best Cyber Monday Apple Watch deals, too. Let’s take a look together.
Our top pick: Greenworks 40V 20-inch Brushless Cordless Snow Blower -- $247 $420 41% off

Read more