Max Morriën
"My first flight was in July 1992 in Mieussy, France. My first instructors were André 'Ziggy top' and Erik Wieringa of Para Adventure. In those days, you could still see Belgian paratroopers flying their parachutes off the mountains there.
Very quickly, I discovered that it was possible to fly at the dunes in the Netherlands. Hang glider pilots had been active there for years, and the first paraglider pilots soon followed. Initially, we did exactly what we had learned in the mountains: we hiked up the dunes to launch from the top. It was only later that we discovered it worked much better to launch from the beach with the wing overhead, take a few steps up the dune, and fly away.
Because we flew in much stronger winds at the coast than in the mountains, we rapidly developed new launch methods, such as the reverse launch, the cobra, and the asymmetric launch. Much later, mountain pilots realized that these were also far superior methods for them to launch safely.
After years of flying at the dunes, I noticed that many mountain pilots struggled with dune soaring. I found myself teaching on the beach more often than I was flying myself. That was the moment Thijs Versloot and I started a school together: Parakiting.nl. At the time, we didn’t realize that fifteen years later, actual ‘parakites’ would enter the market. Parakiting specializes in soaring and high-wind launch methods, as well as techniques that provide much more comfort on a winch or in the mountains. This is especially crucial for Hike & Fly; you need to be able to launch perfectly in small or technically difficult spots.
For us, flying is dynamic rather than static; you are constantly one with the elements. Ultimately, paragliding has defined my life and given me a deeper awareness of existence. I have been able to turn my hobby into my profession without losing the passion for the sport.
My philosophy is that pilots must eventually do it themselves. They shouldn't remain dependent on the school because, in the air, they have to make the decisions. We teach so that students become truly independent and become one with their wing.
Although I am passing on the torch, I remain actively involved in the background, teaching and providing advice on equipment choices. This way, we ensure that the knowledge we have gathered over all these years is preserved for the next generation."