Episode 171- Daniel Tyrkas and unlocking the secrets
Daniel Tyrkas is no stranger performing at a high level. He took a passion for gymnastics onto the slopes and soon after competed for Germany in snowboarding in the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics after nearly qualifying for Nagano in 98′ (while going to engineering school!). He sends huge airs in kiteboarding, but his true passion for the last couple decades has been paragliding. He’s commonly ranked in the top 15 in the world, regularly represents Germany on their national team, and very often can be found at the top of XContest on big days in the Alps (in fact he just broke the site record from near his home in Kossen just after we had our talk). In this episode we dig into his comp success, going big in XC, the most critical maneuvers to have down to be safe, striking the right balance between attacking and control, how to fly the best lines, and doing it all while having a real job and real family! “The journey of becoming a better bird never ends.” Enjoy! Topics we discuss on the show:* Daniel discusses his 2002 winter olympics in Salt Lake City and how his body awareness helped him learn to fly quickly* A non-standard progression* Learning SIV very early on* Getting into XC and putting things together* Optimizing. Is it engineering, flow, approach, training…or something else* Competitions- how to succeed* Monarca, Colombia, and the comp scene* Controlling the wing when the shit hits the fan* Fly the wing you are comfortable with* One job- angle of attack!* A lifetime accident free* Macready dictates bar use* Striking the right balance* You can only try to improve yourself* Becoming a better bird* Don’t be dumb- pretty easy!* The importance of having quick-outs* Passive safety- where it matters* Carry a hook knife!* Honorin- how?Mentioned in this show: Will Gadd, Aaron Durogati, Thomas Theirillat, Honorin Hamard, Luc Armont, Russ Ogden, Charles Cazaux, Ulrich Prinz