Samuel
Tanner

Austria

Adventure Racing

He was born in the mountains in one of Austria’s most famous paragliding regions and first got into the air aged eight. Samuel's been passionate about hike and fly ever since.

Samuel Tanner is the kind of Red Bull X-Alps athlete who’s unlikely to challenge for the podium, but if he plays a good strategic game, could make the finish line. He’s got a good mix of adventure and endurance skills, thinking nothing of a 50km trail run or a hike up a mountain. He’s also a natural mountaineer, having grown up in the mountains, and was once a skilled rock climber. If there’s a via ferrata on the route it will pose no difficulty for him.

In the air he’s made a number of impressive cross-country flights over 100km in the mountains. Most of his flying has been local and if he’s to do well he will want to familiarize himself with some of the bigger mountains in the western Alps before the race start. But he’s been flying ten years and shows promise. By day he’s a medical student and that diligence and scientific mindset will help ensure he makes good decisions.