Scotty Dobson is passionate about soaring up to 90 mph through unique mountain scapes within inches of unforgiving rock features.

The Summit County resident is hooked on something called speed-flying. A combination of paragliding and parachuting, the lesser-known extreme sport relies on a smaller, more nimble wing that allows athletes to fly at exhilarating speeds with precision.

Originally hailing from New Zealand, Dobson found Colorado after a three-month motorcycle trip that spanned the United States. The sport drew him in after he officially made the move out to Summit County in December of 2015.

“I used to skydive, but because there is no skydiving in the Summit County area, I still wanted to have that aviation, canopy-sports thrill,” Dobson said. “I found out there was a local guy that taught speed-riding courses — that’s where you speed-fly with skis on. I did that course, and next thing I was addicted to it.”

Since learning the basics of the skill, which has roots in French mountaineering, Dobson has been hooked. He slowly mastered speed-flying by climbing high into the Tenmile Range nearly every day in the summer before showing up to work at Breckenridge Tap House on Main Street in Breckenridge.

Dobson often makes his way up to Peak 2, Peak 4 or Officer’s Gulch in Tenmile Canyon with his girlfriend, Aesha Scott, in tow. He said the sport is actually really intuitive — except for the fact that he’s flying fast past boulder fields, crags and tree outcroppings.   

“You basically pull right, you go right, you pull left, you go left,” Dobson said. “If you pull both of them, you are de-powering the wing. It is really intuitive. On a small wing, really small inputs go really far. It is a game of millimeters or inches. It is like an extension of your body really.”

With speed-flying not being widely known, Dobson felt moved to create a film documenting the sport while highlighting his lifestyle and personal dreams. 

“I have always loved the audio visual world,” Dobson said. “I’ve noticed that there isn’t really anything out there explaining what the sport is. That spurred me to do an educational introduction to the sport.”

Dobson got the film-making process going during the COVID-19 pandemic, when unforeseen down time allowed him to send hundreds of emails to outdoor brands and other companies asking them to fund the film. Heineken eventually got back to Dobson, effectively green-lighting the short-film project with some funding. Dobson was then connected with former Summit County resident, videographer and photographer Edward Clem, who almost immediately signed on for the summer film project. 

Shortly after Clem signed on as film director, the subject matter quickly shifted when Dobson got in a speed-flying accident while back in New Zealand visiting family. As the film details, Dobson was hospitalized because of the accident due to bilateral comminuted ulna fractures, fractures of the T4 and T8 vertebrae, multiple fractured ribs and a fractured left ankle.

The harrowing accident would be enough to scare anyone away from ever doing the sport again, but Dobson’s passion for speed-flying lies so deep within him that it was a matter of six weeks before he was back on top of mountains looking for the best line to fly.

Coming back from several major injuries, the premise of the film shifted from an educational video to a well-rounded story about the consequences of speed-flying and the deep love Dobson has for the sport.

Working at Breckenridge Tap House until 2 a.m. sometimes, Dobson shows it is possible to pursue your passions in mountain communities while also making a living.

“We wanted to have a very blue-collar feel to it,” Dobson said. “You can do a pretty normal job and live a pretty extreme lifestyle. That is the beauty of Summit County. Everyone has this cool work-life balance. When you find your passion, it is so easy to wake up in the morning and get out of bed with only four hours of sleep. I spent five years in Summit County trying every single sport I could possibly try. Speed-flying came around, and I fell in love with it.”  

With a dream to fly more crazy mountain ranges and become sponsored for what he loves to do, Dobson hopes that his speed-flying film, “The Descensionists”, introduces the sport to more people while also bringing some recognition to his name in the extreme sports world. 

“I don’t think there is ever going to be a competitive basis to the sport, and — therefore — no sponsorships at that level,” Dobson said. “Content is really the only sponsorship form you can do right now. What I am kind of thinking is funding for film in the sport. I want to find a way to make speed-flying my career. Whatever it takes, whether it is filming it and making cool, entertaining films. I want to make this passion of mine feasible and financially stable.”

“The Descensionists” was shown at the Breck Film Festival last September where close friends and members of the community were able to see Dobson’s love for speed-flying first hand. The film in its entirety is currently available on YouTube and is free to watch via “The Descensionists” YouTube channel.

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