Maxence Jorcin: the driving force behind K2 Parapente in Annecy
Today, we’re introducing you to Maxence Jorcin, manager of K2 Parapente. A female entrepreneur with a real sense of team spirit. We asked her a few questions. She answered in her own style: lively, down-to-earth, funny, and always with an eye on the mountains. Take-off imminent – let’s go!
Maxence, how did you discover paragliding?
I started paragliding just by crossing the road!
I grew up in Maurienne; I was drawn to everything to do with the mountains. I was already into climbing, skiing and hiking. And right opposite my house, there was a paragliding school.
One day, I thought to myself: right, I’ll give it a go. I did an end-of-season course; I must have been 14 or 15. And that was it, I’ve never really stopped since.
Jean-Noël Roche, who ran that school, is a key figure for me: he taught me to fly and navigate in the mountains. When his son Zeb set off to paraglide the peaks of K2 (Pakistan) with his partner Liv, we supported them wholeheartedly. Paragliding isn’t just about sport; it’s truly a human adventure.
Did you ever think you’d make a career out of it?
Not at all.
Honestly, it was never planned. I had a friend who was a paragliding instructor, and he used to take me flying all over the place. One day, he said to me: “Get your state licence, and you’ll see if you end up using it.” I got it at 18, at the same time as I was doing a photography course in Vevey, Switzerland. And then one thing led to another and I started working in paragliding.
How did the school in Annecy get started?
It’s really a story of chance encounters and life’s coincidences.
At the start, there were just the two of us, me and Christophe. In 2005, we set up a small paragliding school offering only SIV piloting courses. We just had a cameraman filming the flights so we could debrief with the students afterwards.
When did first-time paragliding flights come into K2’s story?
We started developing tandem flights in 2017, when we took over the shop in Doussard. We also developed the bike hire business at the same time. Little by little, the number of first-time flights increased.
Today, in peak season, we can have up to 9 staff members and 10 paragliding instructors to cover our various activities, including welcoming first-time flyers and course participants, running shuttle services to the Col de la Forclaz, and bike hire. It’s a real operation, with a great team!
What’s a typical day like for you?
I drop my two daughters off at school, and then, if I can, I go for a hike in the mountains with my dog Taïga, on foot, on skis or paragliding. I like to mix it all up.
After that, my job is to keep the paragliding school running. I manage the schedules, the admin, the teams, the emails and the business side of things. It’s less visible than paragliding over Lake Annecy, but it’s essential to keep everything running smoothly!
And I’ve got a brilliant team. We all complement each other. I like the fact that everyone has their place, and that things are done in a spirit of trust. There’s a good atmosphere and a strong sense of team spirit, and that’s what makes it work.
And what’s it like being a woman in the world of paragliding?
Things are changing; there are more and more women in paragliding.
When I took my state licence in 2003, I was the only girl out of 80 trainees. Today, there are 3–4 girls taking the licence out of a group of 45 people.
You see a lot of women on introductory flights these days. But the further you go into piloting, competition or coaching, the fewer there are. Paragliding demands a lot of time, commitment, mental strength and availability. And when you have a job, a family life and children, it’s not always easy to juggle everything.
So, it’s true that I don’t fit into a single box: I’m a woman, a mum, a business owner, I go to the mountains, I fly, I manage a team…
What’s the best flight you’ve ever had?
I’m not someone who’s after performance, but rather the emotion and the shared experience. One of my fondest memories is a flight with my daughters from La Forclaz. My youngest couldn’t tell her left from her right yet, so to tell me to turn, she’d touch her thumb to figure out which way to go. We had a laugh from start to finish.
What are your plans for the future?
It’s taken us a while to find a balance with the school. It’s not always easy with the weather, the seasons, the teams and the clients. But we’re continuing to move forward and make progress.
I always want to share my passion and pass it on. What interests me are people, interaction and trust. We don’t just fly people over Lake Annecy. We welcome them, we look after them, we try to give them a truly memorable experience. That’s also what I love about K2 Parapente and the whole team!
Read the story of K2 Parapente, as told by Maxence.
Read the introduction to the K2 Parapente team.
