We highly recommend completing a minimum of 200 paragliding or miniwing flights before commencing speedriding or speedflying. Prior experience with miniwings or “ski and fly” is highly advantageous when starting out.

Regarding skiing technique: You must be able to navigate off-piste terrain with a reasonable level of proficiency. Experience shows that strong skiing skills are more beneficial initially than flight skills. Less experienced skiers tend to progress more slowly, resulting in more time spent flying rather than riding on the snow.

If you wish to prepare for the course, we strongly advise practicing your ground handling as much as possible. Speedriding is essentially ground handling while skiing.

Insurance is the sole responsibility of the participant. We strictly require that you hold accident insurance that explicitly covers speedflying. If you plan to fly your own wing, you must also carry third-party liability insurance, such as the coverage provided by the SHV (Swiss Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association / Helvetia).

Please note that speedriding and speedflying are classified as hazardous sports (“Wagnis”) on the SUVA list, which can lead to a significant reduction in daily benefits (Taggeld) in the event of an accident causing absence from work. In such cases, you may only receive 40% instead of the standard 80% of your salary during your period of incapacity. However, rescue and medical treatment costs are always fully covered by the mandatory accident insurance for Swiss residents. Please be aware that after two years of continuous incapacity for work, daily benefit payments cease, and you would transition to an invalidity pension (IV), which ideally remains unaffected by reductions.

Wings: For participants who already know their long-term goals in speedflying, purchasing personal equipment prior to the course can be a viable option. However, if you are still undecided whether speedriding is the right sport for you, renting our equipment is highly recommended. We advise contacting Beni briefly to discuss the best approach for your specific situation. As an expert familiar with all speedriding and speedflying wings currently on the market, Beni can provide comprehensive advice on selecting the right wing for you. For personalized equipment consultation, please give him a quick phone call.

Harnesses: Speedriding and speedflying strictly require split-leg harnesses without a seatboard. Harnesses with a seatboard make the system too unstable and overly aggressive. Many seatboardless hike-and-fly harnesses are suitable, regardless of whether they are reversible models. A protector is not required for speedriding, but it is highly recommended for speedflying, although many pilots choose to fly without one. To verify if your current harness is suitable, please contact Beni by phone.