Armin Holzer, the last flight of the air's spirit

It happened yesterday, on Monte Piana. Armin Holzer was out paragliding yet again. The air was his world, an entity he knew well. Once again the time had come to lift off. To fly. We can imagine that launch. His sweet smile, which always spread across his face. His concentration. Those final preparations. Detailed checks. The thumbs up to his friend, who took off first. Then his leap. His last. Armin never landed, got stopped up there among the rocks. There’s no point wondering about what precisely went wrong. Armin Holzer was a slackline master, a highline champion, the youngster who won us over with his smile and his joie de vivre will no longer fly with us. Will no longer dance suspended in mid-air, apart from in our dreams.

Armin was born in Sexten 28 years ago. While he was famous for being one of the world’s best slackliners and, above all, highliners, he was also an excellent skier, snowboarder and climber. With his great friend and partner Alessandro D’Emilia he slacklined at 5,000 meters above sea level on Muztaghata (China) in 2012 to set record-breaking altitude "walk on the wire”, and his traverses on the Tre Cime di Lavaredo and Marmolada are just as memorable. But apart from these achievements, these records, apart from undisputed talent and his special sense of balance, what was striking was the spirit and contagious joy with which he carried out all his adventures. His was a style of life, a “philosophy" almost. It is for this reason that Armin was, and will remain, an inspiration to many.

Armin knew Monte Piana like the back of his hand. A few days ago he flew off the same mountain. And, just last September, together with Ale D’Emilio he organized the fourth Monte Piana Highline Meeting. A special edition during which 26 slackliners hung in their hammocks on a single highline to form a magnificent rainbow. A symbol of peace to remember the centenary of the First World War. Armin Holzer, the magical man who balanced through the air, will be missed for this reason, too. For his art and imagination.



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