Extreme sports hero killed

A well known paraglider who had been taking part in acrobatics exhibitions in an El Hierro paragliding festival was killed last month after plunging sideways to the ground.


Stefan Oberlander, known to his friends as Obi, died while being transferred to a Tenerife hospital as a result of multiple injuries sustained in the fall 24 hours earlier over the spectacular Valle del Golfo.



Obi, 33, was part of the six man Ozone team, a group of professional athletes who specialize in aviation and freefall stunts for public audiences. The team also includes Spain’s Feliz Rodríguez, current world champion of para acrobatics, and four Americans. The six had participated together for five years at events around the world with a perfect safety record.



Ironically, the festival was over and the team was set to move on to Tenerife to take place in the Los Realejos Flypa event. Obi decided, however, to go for one last flight over the valley before leaving because the weather was so perfect for flying. It was a fatal decision.



Stefan Oberlander, who had represented his country on numerous occasions, was a man dedicated to sport, but not just any sport. They had to be extreme. He was the first person to successfully base jump on a bike – in other words, ride a mountain bike over the edge of a 3,000 foot high cliff, parachute down, land on the bike and ride off again without putting a foot down.