GIN GLIDERS Yak

Since our visit to the Korean HQ of Gin Gliders, the Yak has become my winter glider of choice... It's just the ultimate toy for mountain lovers and offers an outrageous amount of pure fun, packed into a tiny package of just over two kilos. It's so easy to carry - in any comfortable days sack or carried in the convertible like the Yeti or my favourite for comfort, the Switch.

It is not just, as Cross Country Magazine said recently, " a lightweight Bobcat".

The Yak is a lightweight speed wing with a different character. It is more refined, has less roll, less frenetic movement as it speeds through turbulence, is more progressive in reacting to control inputs and feels generally smoother. It also has a better sink rate and a better glide.

Gin's Yak still has the main qualities of the Bobcat; it is fun! It has the same facility to adjust glide and speed to suit your requirements, the terrain, the conditions or even your mood, it looks after you when things get rough, it's very well designed.

Ultra-easy to inflate, this speed glider makes it easy to get airborne, and to land in a wide range of conditions. Its trim range allows you to decrease the glide ratio for a fast morning descent or to increase the glide for a spot of afternoon soaring, even thermalling is possible. It has a fantastic speed range using both the brakes and the trimmers.

The Yak has a huge range of use and always brings a smile to your face.

GIN GLIDERS new Bobcat 18

Meanwhile Gin has taken the Yak 18 and used it as the basis for the new Bobcat 18. Now it is easier for heavier pilots to appreciate speed flying and easier for all pilots to soar in a wider wind range. We have the first ones coming in April.

Speedriding wings : The Nano and Fluid

Speed riding with the Nano and Fluid isn't as easy in the UK, they are really suited to the steeper snowy slopes of the Alps and other mountain ranges of the World. We did get a few runs in this year in the Lake District and at Glencoe but the Bobcat or Yak double up for use on the snow with skis and the flight down is more rewarding with our limited altitude. The Nano makes an excellent first foray into speedriding while the Fluid is for confirmed pilots only.

In April I'm heading out to Samoens, to the French Speed Riding Championship round hosted in this beautiful Alpine village. A great chance to see how the experts do it... Can't wait! In the meantime, I Gin Glider's Francois Bon produced this video taster of the Speedriding to come.