Profile – Benoit Outters
BENOIT OUTTERS
Can you introduce yourself in a few words?
BO: I’m 29 years old, and I grew up in the Nice hinterland, a region I wouldn’t leave for anything in the world! Today I’m a professional firefighter in Nice—a job that’s not only my passion but also gives me a little free time to fly and train.
When and how did you learn to paraglide?
BO: Paragliding has always fascinated me, but at first I thought it was reserved for an “elite” few. It was in 2013 that it all clicked for me. A friend called me one evening (Tom REMI—he was with me on the 2019 X-Alps). He told me about his flight—one of his first cross-country flights, covering nearly 100 km! It was 11 p.m., and he was still hiking in the mountains after landing at a high altitude. That’s when I realized the possibilities paragliding offers us. A week later, I was off and running—I even bought my gear before starting a training course!
Jean Vincent Ducrocq trained me at the St-Vallier site, and I quickly started going on cross-country flights.
How often do you go paragliding?
BO: Cross-country flying is still the ultimate discipline for me in paragliding—soaring freely over the most beautiful mountain ranges in the Alps—it’s crazy how much fun it is!
Do you have a special memory of flight to share with us?
BO: There have been many, but my final flight to Monaco during the 2017 X-Alps remains the most memorable. After such a grueling race (over 200 km on foot in the last 48 hours!), finding myself back on familiar ground and enjoying one last glide all the way to the finish line was magical.
What are your plans for the future (paragliding and other activities)?
BO: Right now I’m renovating a house—it’s a lot of work, but I’m learning to do lots of new things. It’s pretty rewarding to do things yourself.
As for paragliding, I hope to line up at the starting line for the next X-Alps—it’s truly an extraordinary race, but one that requires a lot of preparation. Otherwise, this summer I might go on a laid- bivouac flying , paragliding tandem (with my wife) in the Alps.
