Silver Medal for Ben Proebster at the 2025 German Championship
Spießer Trophy – Where It All Begins
📍 May 17, 2025
First round for Ben and his first taste of the action: a 48.5-km race, 5 flights, 28 km on foot, and 3,300 m of elevation gain. Suffice it to say, the Spießer Trophy didn’t go easy on its participants.
No thermals—just a series of glides, landings, and walks uphill, and then we start all over again! Despite the physically demanding conditions, Ben managed to keep up with a leading group made up of X-Alps heavyweights like Schugg, Anders, and Durogati, not to mention the sharp local athletes.
In the end, Ben put in a great performance that landed him in 6th place overall!
Wanderbird Trophy – Keeping the Momentum Going
📍 June 7–9, 2025
Heading to Kitzbühel for the second race, which kicked off with a steep climb straight up the Streif, the steepest downhill run on the alpine ski circuit. The result: 23 km and 2,300 m of elevation gain on Day 1. Unfortunately, the weather intervened, and the race was halted at 10 a.m., with the standings frozen as they were at that point. Ben finished in 5th place provisionally.
The next day, conditions improved: it was the perfect opportunity for a real cross-country flight. After a good start, Ben fell behind at TP3. Rather than sticking with a bad route choice, he took a gamble: an extra 350 m of elevation gain to find a more promising takeoff point. Bingo: he climbed straight to 2,200 m and flew full throttle to the next waypoints while others were still struggling to get out of the valley. The result: 9th for the day, 5th overall in a highly competitive international event.
A first for WILD2… and a convincing one at that!
One interesting detail about this adventure: Ben had just switched to a 2-line kite, the WILD2, the day before the Spießer. A risk? Perhaps. But the real-world test quickly turned into a pleasant surprise:
“This was my first real cross-country run with the WILD2 in Kitzbühel, and it felt like I’d been riding it for months. It’s intuitive, stable even in terrible conditions, and super efficient at full speed. Honestly, I was blown away. It’s a kite that makes you want to push yourself without even thinking about it.”
As for the harness, Ben was flying with theALP : comfort in the air, precision in flight, and lightness throughout the entire course. The perfect combination for excelling in such demanding races.
These two rounds of the German Hike & Fly Championship not only put his physical endurance to the test but also his mental toughness. It was also an opportunity for Ben to see what the WILD2 and the ALP harness are really capable of…All of which culminated in a well-deserved silver medal.
Races like these remind us that Hike & Fly isn’t just about flying farther or faster—it’s also about knowing how to adapt, choosing the right moments, and daring to take risks, even when your legs are burning. And clearly, Ben is far from done making a name for himself in Hike & Fly.
Congratulations again, Ben!
👉 Want to learn more about Ben?
Check out his full profile here: Driver Profile – Benjamin Proebster
And follow him on social media: @benproebster
