Portrait - Benjamin Pröbster
BEN PRÖBSTER
Can you introduce yourself in a few words?
BP: Hey! I'm 33 years old and living and working in Munich, Germany. Fortunately, this is close enough to our Bavarian Alps and Austria, so I'm able to quickly escape the city and spend some time in the mountains. That being said, I was quite the couch potato for most of my life and only found my outdoorsy side within the recent years.
When and how did you learn paragliding?
BP: I got a two-day trial course for my30th birthday three years ago and was hooked from that day. Finished the basic free flight licence the same summer in Bavaria and Austria and tried to get as much airtime as possible ever since.
What is your kind of paragliding ?
BP: I really enjoy pretty much all aspects of flying. If the conditions are right for cross-country flying, going XC is still the ultimate adventure for me. Nothing quite beats exploring these beautiful alps from above (and sometimes from below :D). When conditions are not that good, I'm trying to progress on my acro wing and sharpen my technical skills. Just like in XC, there is still an infinite amount I can learn and for me the progression and step by step achieving something I've never done before is what makes paragliding such a special and rewarding sport. Last year I was finally able to get the tandem licence, so now I often do Hike & Flys with my wife and friends to show them what all this fuss is about or just to make them scream a bit when doing wingovers.
Could you share an interesting paragliding memory with us ?
BP: My most memorable flight was from Munich's backyard mountain Brauneck to the Theresienwiese (this is where the Oktoberfest takes place), which is just a short walk from our apartment. It's not a long distance (~65 km) but you have to be lucky enough to find a good day where you can fly north along the flats and can navigate through the airports surrounding airspaces
What are your upcoming projects ?
BP: Nothing too exciting, more or less following the natural progression (100 km+ FAI, heli, tumbling). This year I began trail running and doing a lot more hike & fly, so I'm really looking forward to having the new Savage in my hands soon. On that note, crossing the Alps from lake Tegernsee to Lago di Garda in a multi-day tour still on my bucket list, so stay tuned
You can find me on Instagram @benproebster or youtube :: https://www.youtube.com/c/BenProebster
