Once upon a time…
Supair was founded on the shores and in the skies above Lake Annecy. For 40 years, we’ve been taking you on adventures in the air—discover this amazing story…
SUPAIR: 40 Years of Life in the Air
Supair was born in Haute-Savoie (France) between a design workshop and beneficial winds, between sewn thread and mountain thermals. Our common thread: the pleasure of flying, closeness to you, excellence and teamwork.
And we have never lost the line.
Our harnesses are inscribed in the memory of flight . Our wings are instinctive with a reassuring feel. Our accessories accompany you in the air.
We have always believed that it was possible to protect the lives of pilots while making their work more exciting.
Our brand brings together creators, children of flight, stratospheric imaginations to design outdoor products. Literally. We do not give ourselves airs, we simply have the air of what we are: an effective brand, neat and open to the freedom of the winds.
Since the beginnings of paraglider, we have remained faithful to the creative and adventurous spirit of the pioneers, to facilitate access to the air for all new paragliding pilots and to imagine new and innovative products and services.
Everything had to be figured out from scratch during Supair's early days.
Everything is still to be invented at each flight in our community.
Let's get inspired and get some fresh air.
Supair: 40 Years of Flying...
1979
The story—both big and small—intertwined with a passion for flight began in 1979 with founder Pierre Bouilloux. Bubbling with ideas, a perfectionist when it came to design, and a hang gliding instructor, he turned his attention to the issue of harnesses… indeed, his passengers were fainting in flight due to pressure points. His first sewing machine transformed his apartment in Annecy (Haute-Savoie) into a production workshop.
1982
The Beginnings
The first“SUP’AIR”products date back to 1982… Since then, the brand has experienced many significant milestones.
1982–1985
The first SUPAIR harnesses hit the market, and the brand took off alongside the emergence of this new sport.
1988
For the first time, SUPAIR harnesses feature the reserve parachute.
Early 90's
In the early 1990s, another innovation emerged: the first automatic buckles for paragliding harnesses. They were designed—from concept to production, including design and development—in partnership with a local company specializing in this field. A few years later, the development of these buckles would lead to the first anti-forgetting systems.
1990–1994
At the same time, Pierre was flying. He was the French paragliding distance champion from 1990 to 1994 and broke the FAI triangle world records several times. He also undertook a series of bivouac flights, a discipline in which he was one of the pioneers.
The first Anti-Balance Systems improve the active safety of harness systems.
The entire 1990s was a period of significant evolution in shock absorption systems; SUPAIR was the first manufacturer to integrate an airbag into the harness.
2000
SUPAIR is opening its workshop in Romania.
2006
The company moved into its current facilities in Chavanod, which house the offices, warehouse, and design and development workshops. Each harness received from the European manufacturing facilities is individually inspected and fitted with its accessories before being shipped “ready to fly.”
2007
Formation of an aerobatics team.
2012
Harness with a release system for the main glider and a steerable rescue BASE system.
2014
SUPAIR starts to manufacture canopies at design . Its first model is a tandem, the SORA, which quickly becomes a reference for instructors and schools.
2015
The first solo wings from the brand: the EONA (EN-A), the EIKO (mountain wing), and the LEAF.
2017
Acquisition of the Gradient brand. The WILD model, driven by Benoit Outters, reaches the second step of the podium of the prestigious X-Alps competition.
2018–2019
Opening of the Swiss and German subsidiaries. A surge in the popularity of Hike&Fly, which benefits SUPAIR products.
2023–2024
With a more modern and dynamic look, the new Supair wing design adds a splash of color to the lineup, which continues to expand with the LEAF3 and LEAF3 Light, as well as the new EN-B+ semi-light STEP X!
When it comes to harnesses, the ALTIRANDO LITE — whose reputation for Hike & Fly is well-established—is now in its second generation, as is the modular EVO LITE 2 harness.
2026
SUPAIR is once again pushing the boundaries with gliders featuring exceptional technology, such as the Savage 2, and industry-leading harnesses like the Delight 5 and the Strike 3.
Every product we develop is driven by the same ambition: to innovate without compromise, offering paragliders products that are ever more high-performance, reliable, and inspiring.
