It’s mid-race in the 2023 Red Bull X-Alps, a 1,200km-plus paragliding adventure around the Alps, and the man they call “Chrigel the Eagle” is about to take off. I’m standing on a Swiss Alpine pass. The wind has been gusting in excess of 30mph and is far stronger than is normally safe to fly. But normal rules don’t apply in this race – or to this athlete. He waits patiently for a lull, then whips up his wing. The force of the energy sweeps him momentarily from his feet and he pulls at his control lines like a mad puppeteer, simultaneously leaping across the rocky-strewn ground to keep it overhead. For a fraction of a second he stands motionless, as if he’s tamed nature itself. Then, with just a few gentle steps, he spreads his wings and launches into the air.
2023年红牛X-阿尔卑斯山越野赛已进入中段。这是一场环绕阿尔卑斯山、总长超过1200公里的滑翔伞冒险，而人们口中的“鹰之克里格尔”即将起飞。我站在瑞士阿尔卑斯山的一处山口上。此时阵风已超过每小时30英里，远远超出常规的安全飞行范围。但这场比赛——以及这位选手——并不遵循常规。他耐心地等待风势短暂减弱的间隙，然后迅速扬起伞翼。猛烈的气流将他一度从地面拽起，他像个疯狂的木偶师一样拉扯着控制绳，同时在布满岩石的山地上敏捷跃动，努力让伞翼稳稳地悬在头顶上方。就在那一瞬间，他仿佛静止如雕像，像是驯服了大自然本身。接着，只需几步轻盈助跑，他便张开“翅膀”，飞入空中。