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Air apparent: taking paragliding to new levels

Swatches | September 1, 2019 | By:

Following additional development, Skytex 21 ultra-lightweight fabric will be ready to sail the skies in 2020. Photos: Porcher Sport.

One of the keys to paragliding is a glider aircraft that is as lightweight as possible. Porcher Sport-sponsored paraglider Jean-Baptiste Chandelier knows this. He demonstrated amazing feats in the recent YouTube film, “Weightless,” seen by more than 37 million viewers so far. 

A pioneer of proximity flying—a form of the sport that requires extreme dexterity and precision—Chandelier is the designer of the Run and Fly paraglider powered by Porcher Sport sails, the lightest and most compact air vehicle in the world. So it’s only fitting that Chandelier helped introduce a prototype of Porcher Sport’s new paragliding fabric, Skytex 21, at the Red Bull X-Alps adventure race in June. Weighing just 21 grams per square meter, Skytex 21 takes paragliding to a new level with an even greater sense of weightlessness. 

The Red Bull X-Alps competition is billed as the world’s toughest adventure race. The 707-mile trek includes hiking, trail running, mountaineering and paragliding from Salzburg, Austria, to the beaches of Monaco. All racers use paragliders equipped with Porcher Sport fabrics weighing 27 grams per square meter. With a launch planned for 2020, Skytex 21 will make a significant difference in a sport where every gram counts.

The paragliding textiles are made from high-tenacity polyamide 6.6 yarns at specialized weaving plants in France that are experienced in advanced coating formulations. Despite their light weight, the yarns are particularly resistant and durable. For more information, visit www.porcher-sport.com

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