The HEAD GAME

Flying like we do is the ultimate confidence trick – and we play it on ourselves. Matt Warren takes a look at what’s going on inside our heads

It’s all too easy to only think about paragliding as something physical. Buy the right equipment, develop the right skills and that 200km flight is yours for the taking. But at its heart flying is a head game: using – and understanding – your mind is the most important thing there is. Whether you’re a weekend pilot looking to get to the next level, or Chrigel Maurer winning yet another X-Alps, paragliding is a psychological sport. “When it comes to flying well, technique is all of 5% or less” says Mads Syndergaard, comp pilot, organiser and author. “Once you have worked out how to keep the thing open at speed, the rest is all in your head” So what is confidence? And how can you achieve it? ‘Being in the zone’ is…

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Cross Country (Digital) - 1 Issue, May 2016

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