Paragliding has its origins in parachuting. Paragliding evolved from this practice, hence its definition as "a kind of parachute".
In the mid-60s,
David Barish launches "slope flying" with a "sailwing".
Trials and demonstrations were then carried out at ski resorts, using ski jump launching pads. Mountaineers were among the first to show an interest in this practice, as it could enable them to descend quickly after their ascent.
At the same time, some people were developing parachutes, towards double-walled box canopies, which would later give rise to paragliding canopies !
It was finally in the 70s, in France and even more precisely in Haute-Savoie, that the first tests of parachute flight from the Perthuiset mountain took place. It was at the Annemasse paraclub that the first paragliding tests were successfully carried out. Other experienced parachutists tried their hand at the sport with the Annemasse club, followed by non-parachutists, making the sport accessible to "everyone". The Annemasse paraclub thus became the founder of the discipline, which is supported by the French Parachuting Federation.
The Fédération Française de Vol Libre (French Federation of Free Flight) was born, providing a framework for the regulation of paragliding. Development then took place on a national scale, thanks in particular to the hang-gliding schools that took this new sport under their wings.