Renowned for his world firsts and record-breaking performances, Jon Durand has stamped his authority as one of the world’s best hang-gliding pilots.
From performing aerobatics in the Morning Glory rolling cloud formation in 2009 – a meteorological phenomenon – to most recently breaking another world record by covering the longest distance flight over The Great Australian Bight, Jon is a multiple, national champion and international event-winner.
It’s set to be an exciting year ahead for both Jon and the sport, ahead of the upcoming World Championships in Mexico in late February, 2015. A tough competition featuring the world’s best, Jon will have to undergo gruelling training in the hopes of making another dream come true.
So Jon, what was the catalyst for you to take up such a high risk, high-adrenaline sport at the young age of 15?
Well, my father had been into hang gliding since I was around nine years old; I used to travel around with him to competitions and watch him compete and I was soon hooked on the sport. There was something about jumping off a cliff and being free to do what I want – that was a huge drawcard. I grew up skateboarding and surfing and things were just becoming so crowded that it was hard to get a wave on the Gold Coast.
How did it feel to lay flat and fly freely like a bird for the first time? When I was good as kid, I used to get a tandem flight from my father after I finished school, and this only led me to fly as soon as I could. Every year I used to try and pick up a hang glider to see if I was big enough to fly and my father kept saying: “maybe next year”. At the young age of 15 I eventually started my training and only days later I was flying. The very first flight I remember looking from side to side and realised that I was alone and my father was not there to help me anymore. My dream of spreading my wings and flying all by myself had now come true. I was smiling from ear to ear when I touched down and have never looked back since.
Which begs the question, are you at heart just a thrill seeker?I am not a thrill seeker so to speak; I only went sky diving for the first time last year during a Red Bull athlete summit. I have always loved sports and spent my life in the outdoors instead of inside playing computer games or watching TV. I don't hang glide for the adrenaline, I do it for the challenge and the amazing views and memories that I take away with each flight. I have now been flying for over 18 years and accumulated over 5,000 hours of airtime, and I don't see myself stopping anytime soon. I guess that means I'm addicted!
Having recently broken another world record by covering the longest flight over The Great Australian Bight, you can now add ‘fastest’ to your list of world-beating achievements having covered 300km in just 4 hours 16 minutes. That is a long time to be flying. Can you give us some insight into what you do on the ground regards training, in preparation for such massive ventures?
As you know I recently broke two world records earlier this year, but there was hard work before the glory. I don't normally do much in the way of gym training for my competition side of the sport, but for these long, world record flights everything helps. I started an intense three-month training session focusing on building strength throughout my core so that I could sustain these long and tiring flights. My usual training would consist of exercises, stretching and general flying.
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I’ve heard you describe the Morning Glory cloud on the border of outback Queensland and the Northern Territory as a giant wave, a tsunami in the sky! In perfect conditions, and only on a handful of days a year, half-a-dozen or more Morning Glory clouds stack up one after another in one corner of the Gulf of Carpentaria. Nobody knows why this is. So taking a team of eight and all your equipment out is obviously no easy feat. So who do you rely on to predict when the conditions are perfect for such massive ventures?
The Morning Glory project was amazing and something I will never forget in my lifetime. To ride a wave that is 40,000ft high and as far as you can see in both directions over crocodile-infested countryside is probably considered stupid. For me this was a dream and one that would take lots of time and patience to make happen. Being that hang gliding is such a unique sport, it requires me to organise everything. When I do a project I organise everything that is involved around the flying side. Red Bull organise everything else to make it safe and successful.
The upcoming World Championships in Mexico in late February 2015 is clearly in your sights. A tough competition featuring the world’s best, how do you research the same air currents you will be facing over there?
The 2015 World Champs are soon approaching and now I'm back home for summer to practice. Being that the weather conditions are always changing from day to day you know what to expect. I can’t simulate the flying conditions. For me, the most important thing is to be in the air flying and learning and staying fit. The world champs will be held at a placed called the Valley of the Brave. I competed in the pre-World Champs this year and learned the ins and outs of flying in Mexico. The competition will run over two weeks, and we will fly potentially 13 days, weather permitting.
Who has been your biggest inspiration to succeed and to push yourself?
I grew up in a small, mountain town called Beechmont which overlooks the stunning Gold Coast. We have the biggest flying club in Australia with around 150 members. I live only minutes down the road from one of the best flying sites in the world. When I was young and at the beginning of my hang-gliding career, I had many people I looked up to. The first person that comes to mind was four-time Australian champion Drew Cooper. He was the legend and I remembered thinking: ‘Four time champion, I need to learn as much as I can from this guy’. One of the best things with hang gliding is that you can go and compete with the world’s best which is not normal in most other sports. My father also took me under his wing, so to speak, and taught me everything he knew to keep me safe and progress to the elite level. I spent all of my free time flying and soon enough I joined the world circuit so that I could learn from the best.
Spending up to nine months a year overseas to remain competitive must take a toll on you both physically and mentally. What forms of relaxation do you undertake?
I travel lots these days ... I follow the summer around competing mostly in USA, Brazil, Europe and Australia. The biggest off season I get is when I am at home, which is normally October to Christmas. I normally take this time to fly on the good days and the rest of the time I enjoy visiting friends and family and relaxing. I love other sports and it wouldn't be rare to see me swinging a golf club or riding a jet ski around the broadwater.
The 2015 World Hang Gliding Championships take place 28 February until 13 March, 2015.
