"I'm on the Dutch beach, a fresh wind blowing from the west and ready to try this new hype: the parakite. Someone hands me a bundle of white dyneema with a lot of pulleys and two familiar looking handles: the kiterisers connected to a brand new Flare Moustache 18. Once I've sorted the bundle out I pull on what I think are the A-risers. The Moustache rises fairly quickly, I pull the brakes to stop it and the entire canopy collapses. Lesson learned: don't brake a reflex profile overhead...it stabilises itself. The second try is better and I spend some time groundhandling before kiting up the dune and flying away. I remember the instructions: keep your hands level with the labels for trim flight. Hands up sends the wing into a sharp dive and hands down creates massive lift catapulting me up. My brain is working overtime. Control is not just left and right now, but in three dimensions! Once I get the hang of it I'm having a blast. This is fun!"

This was 2022, and the question then whether parakites are just a hype or here to stay is now pretty much settled. With five types from three brands and more to come, parakites are firmly established as a new type of wing.

This article was published in full in Cross country magazine 253, November 2024