Profile – Charlie Ormond
CHARLIE ORMONT
Can you introduce yourself in a few words?
CO: My name is Charlie Ormond. I’m 17 years old and live in Le Grand Bornand. I’m passionate about the outdoors and the thrills it offers. In this setting, I enjoy mountain biking, freeskiing, and paragliding, which allow me to see nature in a whole new light.
When and how did you learn to paraglide?
CO: My paragliding journey began when my father took me, my brother, and my sister on tandem flights when I was 5 years old. That was followed by quite a few practice sessions with him throughout my childhood, and finally, in July 2018, I took my introductory course with the Airlinks team (I was 15 years old). Ever since then, my dad has been like a coach to me—he helps me improve.
How often do you go paragliding?
CO: My paragliding practice these days focuses on learning cross-country flying, making transitions, and improving my positioning within the air mass.
Do you have a special memory of flight to share with us?
CO: I have quite a few memorable moments in this sport, but a few come to mind first: I’m thinking of the sunset flights at the top of Lachat in Le Grand-Bornand, as well as the ones in Morocco at the Nid d’Aigle. But one of my best memories was my first short cross-country flight in July 2019, starting from Le Grand-Bornand, heading to the Col des Aravis, and returning along the Aravis Range all the way to the Pointe Percée. That moment was special, especially thanks to the Aravis Range, which gives you the feeling of being in the high mountains, as well as the sight of gliders flying all around me.
What are your plans for the future (paragliding and other activities)?
CO: When it comes to paragliding, I really want to go on expeditions to other countries, do cross-country flying, but also try a little bit of everything to broaden my perspective on the sport. As a passionate skier, I’d also love to try “alchemy” combos like the pioneers did. I’d like to get into video production outside of paragliding. I’m a high school student at Saint Joseph (Thônes) taking the film and audiovisual production track, and I plan to pursue a degree in audiovisual studies afterward.
You can find me on Instagram @charlie.ormond!
