Who, like Icarus, has never dreamed of taking flight, of feeling their feet leave the ground and gaining altitude to fly over mountains and forests and see the immensity of the sky!?
…… but unlike Icarus, by controlling the landing and not ending up as flat as a tarte flambée crust!
Well, Damien, he knows how to do it.
"When the Alsatian man from the Villé valley surpasses the capabilities of the gods", a documentary directed by Geoffrey Szymanski with the divine participation of Damien Koehler.
"Hi Damien,
After that slightly offbeat introduction (sorry Icarus), could you introduce yourself to our readers who don't know you?
Hi Geoffrey,
My name is Damien and I am 31 years old, I work in industry at Paul Hartmann France and I am a Zone Manager.
"Today she's rising to new heights, soaring towards ever-greater fame, and here it is, the traditional question: are you from the Villé valley? ... and if not, where are you from?"
Haha… yes I am originally from the valley and I grew up in Maisonsgoutte, in fact I still live there.
"Is flying a lifelong dream of yours?"
Who doesn't dream of flying? I've always been drawn to the sky, to space. These are things that intrigue me and make me dream of freedom.
"How did you get into paragliding?"
It was my uncle Michel WOLFF, a long-time paraglider pilot, who inspired me and passed on the bug; he too is from the valley.
I thought it was so incredibly amazing. I found the ballet of all those sails staying in the air for hours incredible; I still find it incredible…
"We often see you flying over Coucou and Breitenbach. It's a kind of slow and colorful ballet which I must admit is very pleasant to watch."
Sometimes there are so many of you! Is paragliding a sport you share, or is it a solitary sport for those who seek to disconnect from the world and enjoy the beauty of nature alone?
We very often fly in groups, we meet up with members of the Delta Club des cigognes (my current club) or with other groups to carpool to get to the take-off point.
It's always interesting to discuss everyone's flight plans and analyze the weather.
In the air, we share information to find places where flying conditions are best.
But the best part is ending a day of flying with a good beer, sharing stories about our flights and experiences!
"What seems obvious when we see you is that it's not something you can just improvise! How does one become a paragliding pilot?"
When you decide to take up paragliding, the best way to learn is to go to paragliding schools.
In my case, I joined the "grandvol" school club located in Breitenbach.
It includes a whole theoretical section, weather analysis, the risks associated with the practice, flight mechanics and much more.
Then we start to familiarize ourselves with the equipment by doing ground exercises, inflating the wing and short hops to repeat the takeoff and landing phases.
Once you're comfortable with all of that, it's the big day of the first flight!
"Is this a practice accessible to everyone?"
Yes, I think everyone can find happiness in paragliding; the conditions in the air are different depending on the time you take off.
Training sails are very safe and allow you to gain confidence quickly.
In my year, the youngest was 14 and the oldest was around 60. So yes, it's open to everyone.
"Where do you fly? I often see photos of you above the Villé valley, but do you have other spots where you like to fly?"
I fly a lot at Coucou at Altenberberg (Frankenbourg castle massif) and at Breitenbach (Champs du Feu massif);
It's a question of proximity to the sites and wind direction.
But as soon as I have a free day and the conditions are good I go to Treh (Markstein massif), the playground there is fabulous.
"Where is your dream spot?"
Hard to say, I still have many places to discover, but I would say that for soaring, I would opt for the Dune du Pilat.
And for a truly breathtaking view, I would go above Lake Annecy; the short boat trip around the lake is magnificent!
"Can you tell us a little about the equipment you use?"
I fly with a NIVIUK IKUMA2 model wing, it's a wing between leisure and entry-level performance, which is lively and transmits aerology well.
As for the harness, it's a cocoon that allows me to have my legs protected and to gain a little in performance.
I also have a reserve parachute in case of problems in flight, a vario that gives me information on my altitude, speed and other parameters and finally a radio to communicate with my buddies in the air.
"Can you fly all year round, or is paragliding more of a summer activity?"
You can fly all year round, there are sites that are usable in winter, like Reinhardmunster where you can soar thanks to the wind.
In summary, the wind comes from the Alsace plain and comes into contact with the terrain; it's like a wave that paragliders surf.
There is also hike and fly which consists of hiking with your paraglider and descending by paraglider, it is one of the most common practices in winter.
"Damien, what are the ideal conditions for flying here in the Villé valley?"
It all depends on the launch site. Breitenbach is a thermal site; the best conditions are a light southeast wind, which will allow for some leisurely flying.
The cuckoo is a different site, you can fly in thermodynamics, that is to say, you fly in thermals and in dynamics (like Reinhardmuster).
A minimum northeast wind speed of 15 km/h is required to produce a "magic cuckoo"
"How do you fly?"
Are you more into leisurely flights, enjoying the view, or are you looking for technical challenges with long flights or performing maneuvers?
My goal is to improve, to progress year after year so that I can cover long distances, what we call Cross.
I like the idea of leaving, going as far as possible and trying to return to the starting point.
But I also love evening flights where you let go of the controls and simply enjoy the present moment; you feel privileged.
"Do you have any paragliding pilots you admire for X or X reasons?"
Personally, I'm a big fan of Jean-Baptiste Chandelier. His videos are full of poetry and offer a real sense of freedom. I also enjoy watching Victor's experiments with his dog…
Of course JB Chandelier is one of my favorite drivers, I've watched his videos on repeat, I still get chills when I watch them.
Damien Lacaze is one of the French pilots I love, always in a good mood, he's an adventurer, I found him fabulous during the last X-Alps.
(The ultimate walk and fly competition; I recommend you watch the videos on YouTube)
Damien, what do these images inspire in you?
As you said, it's poetry and a feeling of freedom.
“Let’s take a short break to recover from our emotions.”
Besides paragliding, what else do you enjoy doing in the Villé valley?
I play basketball in the Val de Villé basketball club; it's been almost 20 years now, I also like to go mountain biking and running in our beautiful mountains.
"If I asked you to choose your favorite place in the valley, which would it be?"
"Actually, your favorite spot downstairs and your favorite spot upstairs."
For the view "from below", without much hesitation I would say Pelage, the Breitenbach takeoff...you have a breathtaking view of Haut-Koenigsbourg and in the distance you can see the Black Forest and the Alps.
As for the view from above, I'd say when I fly over Frankenbourg Castle you always feel privileged when you're overlooking it…
"What do you like about this place, in a very general way... what makes you feel good here and enjoy spending time here?"
Isn't this the most beautiful valley in the world?
I have my family, my friends and my passions, what more could I ask for? For socializing, there are also good restaurants and nice terraces to have a drink with friends.
"Damien, I'm going to ask you a series of questions and you'll answer them without thinking (or not too much ^^)
-Your favorite color?
Red
-Your favorite tree?
Ash
-The song you like to sing?
I want to breathe free
-An animal?
Dog
-Beer or white wine?
Beer
-Pretzel or Knack?
Both !
"Okay Damien, I think we've covered everything."
But before we let you go back to burying your head in the clouds, would you tell us about your best paragliding memory? To show the world that we're not chauvinistic here, you can tell us even if it wasn't in the valley ^^
My best memory, it's hard… I have so many things that have marked me, but I would say my week in the Alps this summer.
I was flying there for the first time with some paragliding friends; every day I discovered a new site, I was able to circle with eagles, we were flying at over 3000m.
I was flying over the mountain peaks and along the cliffs… I learned and saw so many things, it was incredible.
“Damien, thank you so much for the time you gave us. Thank you also for your photos which, in addition to being very beautiful, make you really want to get your feet off the ground.”
We hope you enjoy this article and that perhaps some of you will give it a try!