Courtesy of Red Bull Media Service Team
2017 acrobatic world champion creates magical images in his native Chile.
2017 acrobatic paragliding world champion Víctor ‘Bicho’ Carrera performed an incredible routine in his native Chile during the total solar eclipse at Condoriaco at Elqui Valley on July 2. Here is all you need to know:
– Carrera, 23, began flying with his father when he was 11 months old and performed his first solo flight aged 11 on his way to building an already impressive career.
– Carrera took time out from preparing for the 2019 World Championships for a breathtaking stunt that would coincide with one of the earth’s great wonders that was set for his home country in South America.
– Condoriaco is a small mining town in the Elqui Valley which only has a few families and was perfect to line up next to the sun and moon to create a unique frame.
– Carrera’s mission was to fly with his illuminated wing at the moment when the moon stood in front of the sun generating that luminous ring that many flocked to see.
– Guided by the instruments that indicate wind speed, distance and altitude at 4pm on Tuesday July 2, Carrera took off from Condoriaco once the partial phase of the eclipse had begun and got to the highest peak to start a routine that included a “wing over” or pendulum effect in the air and a “sat” that looks like an aerial spiral.
– He performed for 40 minutes until the moon was in position and day was suddenly transformed into night – illuminated only by the solar ring and Carrera’s wing.
– He said: “These are the kind of projects that you do not expect to happen in your career and that inspire you to continue dedicating hours to the paragliding flight. To be the protagonist of a natural phenomenon of this importance is something unique. It was not easy because I only had two minutes to fit height and depth all right in front of the lenses and cameras. This leaves me burdened to face the start of this year’s World Championships, which I hope to win again. I cannot imagine doing anything else. I just want to fly.”