Adrien Raisson

Surname: Raisson

First name: Adrien

Age: 24

Discipline: Distance paragliding

Achievements:

U26 World Championship runner-up

Winner of the Pre-World Cup in Bourg-Saint-Maurice in 2024

How would you summarise your career?

When did you start your sport and why? What did you like about it?
I discovered paragliding at a very early age, when I was three. As a child, it was simply sharing a tandem flight with my father or coming down from Les Arcs after a day of skiing. I thought that was all there was to paragliding. But when I was 14, my father suggested I take part in a training course and fly solo for the first time. I went, and since that day, I've never stopped. Ten years later, paragliding completely dominates my life. What fascinated me from the start was learning to navigate a new element: the air. Understanding air mass, anticipating it, learning to play with it... It required theoretical knowledge but also a lot of practice, and I loved immersing myself in this new world. It was also a way to enjoy the mountains around my home in a different way. Very quickly, I discovered competition. The idea of racing with a wing above my head fascinated me. Since then, I've had only one desire: to improve, fly faster and faster, and compete with the best.

Key moments in your career

A highlight was my 2021 season. Thanks to good results internationally, I was able to qualify for my first World Cup in Brazil in 2022. Flying alongside the best pilots for the first time gave me enormous motivation to continue and improve.

Another highlight was, of course, joining Team Les Arcs in early 2024. Representing the resort where I grew up and started paragliding is a source of great pride. At the same time, I joined the Niviuk Paraglider team, a brand that supports me today and allows me to fly at my best.

Autumn 2024 was a milestone: I obtained my state instructor's diploma. This now allows me to pass on my passion in Les Arcs and make paragliding my full-time job.

Finally, 2024 was also the year of the Junior World Championships in Tolmin, Slovenia, where I represented France for the first time in an international championship. I won the title of U26 World Vice-Champion as well as U26 World Team Champion with my teammates.

An anecdote about you and your sport
When I started paragliding, the instructors in the valley were a bit strict with me about certain things... obviously, I was young and didn't understand everything. Now, as an instructor, I teach others to fly, and I realise how much sense all the advice from my father and the older guys made in terms of progressing safely. Now I laugh when I think back to all the things I wanted to do!

Get to know Adrien better

Your best memory in Les Arcs
In the spring of 2024, when I passed the last marker above Les Arcs, sealing my first victory in an international competition. Winning a Pre-World Cup at home, in front of my family and friends, had a special flavour.

 

Your favourite spot
When you're up in the air, Les Arcs becomes a spot in its own right, but my favourite thing to do is to land at the top of La Grive at the end of the day and set off for one last flight at sunset.

 

Your typical paragliding day
I think what excites me most is that there isn't really one. We are very dependent on the weather, and there are so many different ways to practise this sport that every day has its own goal: from walking and flying in Les Arcs, to flying over 200 km across the Alps, to simply "splashing around" with friends who are just starting out.

 

If Les Arcs were a film or a piece of music?
It's not easy... no film could really describe Les Arcs. But if I had to choose a piece of music, it would be Pink Floyd's Shine On You Crazy Diamond. It's a piece of music that takes time to settle in, like a day here: a quiet flight in the morning, then skiing or mountain biking in the afternoon, depending on the season. Each moment has its own intensity, and over time, it creates a unique melody that is both gentle and powerful.

 

Any memorable falls to share?
I admit that I have helped shape the landscape... some of my landings in Les Arcs must have left their mark! Fortunately, there were never any injuries.

 

1 tip for getting the most out of Les Arcs
Be curious and try as many activities as possible that allow you to enjoy the mountains. And of course, come paragliding, it offers a unique perspective on the resort.

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