Justin Puthod

My father does paragliding, and from an early age he passed on his passion for the sport to me by taking me on tandem flights with him. It wasn't until later, when I turned 18, that my parents let me learn to fly. They didn't want me to start earlier because they were afraid of what would happen, as they knew the risks.

I progressed as I surrounded myself with pilots of the same level as me and many others who were far superior. Because I also put in a lot of hours, I was able to learn quickly. 

The titles I am most proud of are second place in the PWC Romania in 2022, and fourth place overall in XContest, also in 2022. Furthermore, I am super happy about two epic flights: a 353km flight doing a flat triangle and a 306km FAI triangle. 

A moment I will never forget was the first time I tried the Acro discipline, which also became the first time I had to release my emergency parachute. I was really lucky, as I landed on a small landing when I pulled my reserve only 500m above the ground. 

Right now, I am focused on doing well in the PWC and being one of the selected for the next Super Final. I also want to prepare myself and make flights that will allow me to achieve distance records in XC - I would like to be in the air more often, and not in the school!

I really appreciate the Niviuk brand, as they offer a lot of quality and high-performance products. I like the fact that it is a very dynamic company and supports many paragliders in their projects, both personal and professional. I have been using and loving my Icepeak X-One for over a year now, and I don't see any reason to change it.