![[Translate to English:]](https://cdn.advance.swiss/fileadmin/_processed_/9/b/csm_Web_stories_Cover_final_76ea4aae5b.jpg "[Translate to English:]")
Flying, sharing the excitement and capturing it all – Adi Geisegger does it with passion and a keen eye for action and aesthetics. The Tyrolean pro photographer covers the X-Alps, and his job is every bit as tough and adventurous as that of the athletes.
The right moment
“If you wait for the perfect shot, you’ll be too late.” The stories behind Adi Geisegger’s spectacular X-Alps images are often as fascinating as the photos themselves. “Preparation and timing are everything. To capture a great shot, you have to create the right moment.” This demands not only exceptional skill but also careful preparation.
“I train for the competition almost as hard as the pilots themselves. For me, it’s teamwork:
I do my best to show how the athletes give their best.”
Teamwork with top shots
Adi and the X-Alps: This is the story of a lasting partnership that began in 2015. Adi brings to this collaboration a rare blend of passion and professionalism. He knows as much about photography as he does about thermals, as much about data handling as he does about storytelling. Shooting photos and videos while paragliding presents unique challenges. “You’re doing two things at once, but you have to focus fully on both. To capture the perfect shot, you need to know exactly when you can let go of the brakes.”
Drones don’t feel
For the first time ever, no helicopters were used at this year’s X-Alps. This mades Adi's job as a flying photographer all the more crucial: “It’s the only way to truly capture the athletes in flight.” Couldn't you take pictures like these with drones? Adi shakes his head. As an experienced drone pilot, he knows the pros and cons of drone cameras “Apart from image resolution and safety distance, there are things a drone simply can’t do. It’s not just about what you see – it’s about the feeling. You can’t capture the adventure and joy of flying from behind a control console.”
Adrenaline and adventure
The X-Alps is full-on, a state of emergency, and that goes for Adi as well. He has to juggle deadlines, camera equipment and thermals all at once. “I’m 100% part of the competition, both on the ground and in the air. At the same time, I’m also 100% part of content creation.” Many of Adi’s images appear on social media in real time, and he’s a perfectionist. “I want to take the viewer as close as possible to the action.” But creating that sense of proximity also means never losing sight of the bigger picture.
Through a wider lens
From the pre-shootings to the victory celebrations, Adi is at the X-Alps from start to finish. “For me, the X-Alps is one big story that I want to tell in all its drama and excitement.” That’s why he doesn’t just track the light conditions – he also keeps an eye on the rankings and the athletes’ form. But Adi doesn’t only show the pilots in competition mode. As an award-winning photographer, director and cameraman, he captures the fascination of flying in breathtaking, atmospheric images. For him, flying is more than just action and adrenaline – it’s also meditation and magic. And like no other, he manages to convey both in his photos.
Stories and Shots
Adi’s work at the X-Alps is as thrilling as the race itself. Here are the stories behind some of this year’s most stunning shots:
Takeoff with Patrick
The suspense at the start in Kitzbühel Hahnenkamm is incredible. I navigate my way through the athletes, run to my glider, clip in and check my camera one last time. It’s all or nothing! While the first pilots are already soaring, I’m still on the ground, capturing the atmosphere before takeoff. Patrick von Känel is taking to the skies next to me. Let’s go! We fly into the group ahead, straight into the first thermal. I turn with the pilots at cloudbase, searching for the best angles. Now I just have to stay in the thermal – otherwise it’s game over! Then I spiral back down to catch the next group. The pace is crazy, decisions have to be made in split seconds. After two hours, it’s all over. I check my memory cards. My pulse slows
Climbing with Davide
Day 2. I’ve been on the Heini Holzer via ferrata for eight hours. Freezing cold north wind, little sleep, heavy equipment. I’m waiting for my last athlete of the day. According to live tracking, Davide Sassudelli should appear from behind the next edge any moment now. I double-check my carabiners and adjust my framing. “Ciao, Davide!” He looks relieved to see me. I start shooting while still moving, then climb higher to catch new angles. “Where can I launch? How’s the wind? What did the others do?” As we climb together towards the steep launch slope, I answer his questions. The conditions are tough, but Davide stays calm. He pulls out his glider, performs a perfect cobra launch and glides away into the valley. I shoulder my heavy pack. One challenge still awaits me: the long climb back down on foot.
Sunrise with Chrigel
Day 6. The alarm goes off at 2 o'clock and we set off soon after. Our goal: to shoot Chrigel Maurer at sunrise. The track he shared with me the day before leads 1,200 metres up the fall line through pathless terrain.
“We’ll meet at the end of the line,” he said. Lorenzo and I cover the first few kilometres on the e-bike. We push ahead with camera, lenses, and PI3s on our backs. There is fog in the valley, stars above, and silence all around. We’ve got about an hour’s head-start – enough time to get into position for the perfect shot at sunrise. Before long, we spot the headlamps of Chrigel and his supporter approaching fast. I get into position, but I’m 50 metres short of the perfect angle. I run up, reposition, and the sun begins to rise over the horizon. I let Chrigel run into the frame. Click, click, click. Perfect. Next, it’s up with the two of them to the summit at nearly 3,000 metres. Chrigel unpacks his glider. He checks his watch, and turns to me. “5:59. It was an honour, Adi.” Lorenzo and I unpack our gliders and fly down into the valley. Later, I realise that this working day doesn’t end until 10 p.m.
More about Adi
Adi Geisegger
Adi has been flying paragliders and hang gliders since the early 1990s. Since then the photographer and filmmaker can frequently be found with his paramotor.