Profile – Enak Gavaggio
ENAK GAVAGGIO
Can you introduce yourself in a few words?
EG: I’m a jack-of-all-trades, but I’m not particularly skilled in any one area. I love any activity related to games—if there’s no game involved, there’s no reason for me to be interested. On top of that, I love sharing the experience. I can’t bring myself to do an activity alone—I need to share the experience and have a good laugh. In short, I currently do—or have done—paragliding, skydiving, base jumping, hockey, skiing, snowboarding, combat sports, tennis, golf, cycling/mountain biking, and surfing.
When and how did you learn to paraglide?
EG: I started flying in 1998 with paragliding, and in 2000 I got into skydiving and BASE jumping. I dove headfirst into paragliding—I bought my Vision Up before I’d even started. It all started with a week-long course in the rain where we didn’t get to fly, so I actually learned with my friends in the fields behind our houses 🙂 I’ve got the textbook example of a paraglider’s journey—the one you shouldn’t follow… On my very first flight, I stuck a pirate flag in my wing…
My third flight was a soaring flight where I hit the ground head-on twice before making it back home.
My seventh flight was pulled by a “cunimb,” and I didn’t know how to perform a “ears” maneuver! So, I first tried pulling on my A-lines (which I quickly released!) and then on my stabilizers; before realizing that neither technique was working, and that I absolutely had to descend, so I started doing “3.6s.” I nearly passed out from the centrifugal force, and ended up landing in the middle of an equestrian obstacle course, passing just 15 meters from a large high-voltage power line…
Armed with that experience, I managed to crash head-on into my best friend, then pull off a wing-to-wing collision during a “full moon” flight—on a night when there wasn’t even a moon…
In short, I rushed through every step while everyone was telling me to take my time…
Then, well, I got scared trying to fly too early in the afternoons. And ever since, I’ve been a “splash” paraglider—I only fly in the morning or evening in calm conditions.
How often do you go paragliding?
EG: So my Leaf is my second glider ! Of course, I'm not allowed to take my vision out again... I think it has had its day... I love to fly cool and to be able to do facetimes with my nephew and my friends to say hello. So I'm not a great paragliding pilot, even though I've been flying for more than 20 years, but I love above all these moments of calm and the sound of the wind in the lines.
Do you have a special memory of flight to share with us?
EG: My best flight will always be the one in Norway (in Are) during the Restit competition, with my friend Romain Raisson, who has been flying with Supair for over 25 years!
What are your plans for the future (paragliding and other activities)?
EG: My plans for paragliding are pretty ordinary: going out with friends—whether we hike there or not—sharing those last moments at the launch site when we’re still on the ground before taking off, and passing each other on the right or left once we’re in the air, having a blast! And of course, I especially love flying tandem and being the passenger, so I can fall out of the harness whenever I feel like it… With a parachute, of course 🙂
