Born to soar
We don’t just make wings — we create flight experiences.
Our Story
Kevin Hintze began paragliding at age 16 and immediately fell in love with flight. He was one of the early pioneers of aerobatic paragliding in the USA and taught at the Point of the Mountain in Utah for over 10 years. Kevin is also a licensed general aviation pilot. He began tinkering with paraglider wings, making significant changes to wings he owned. He soon began flight testing for several major paragliding companies in between instructing and flight school commitments.
Scott Roberts began skydiving in 1998 and by 2001 he was a competitive canopy pilot, flying top-level competitions for years as a member of Team FASTRAX and Slipstream Airports. Scott has a master’s degree in engineering with over 20 years of design experience.
In 2007 Scott and Kevin met through speed flying. Kevin was instructing paragliding and Scott was doing contract work for another major parachute company for the release of a speed wing. They became fast friends and began to share knowledge — Scott sharing skydiving with Kevin and Kevin sharing paragliding and speed flying with Scott. Shortly after that they began what became known as Project Mayhem.
Project Mayhem started with what seemed like a stunt: to jump out of an airplane with a paraglider wing and survive. The project quickly evolved into developing a way to repeatedly jump aerobatic (acro) paragliders out of airplanes. It evolved over 4 years and involved some serious safety, rigging and aerodynamic challenges. In 2012 they achieved their goal and were able to successfully jump paragliding wings out of airplanes in a repeatable manner. This system of sub-components has yet to come to market.
In 2011 Scott was hurt in a serious paragliding accident that left him bedridden for over 4 months and made continued competition as a top-level canopy pilot impossible. He decided to use this downtime to take several courses in aerodynamics and studied full-time during his recuperation and well beyond. Scott also spent a good deal of time researching and learning how to perform computational fluid dynamics. When combined with Kevin’s experimental-based approach, they soon realized they had a magic combination.
After Project Mayhem the two wondered what was next. A paraglider, of course. Scott set off to work designing and building it. In late 2012 they had a prototype of the Rubicon. They tested it in Utah under Kevin’s lead and found it to not only be safe and effective but really fun and enjoyable to fly. They both knew that they wanted to make more wings and make this a full-time venture.
They brought in others to help — Shane Shaffer and eventually Lucas Alderette — and Fluid Wings was formed. They rented their first space in DeLand, Florida, in 2013 and began the research and development to produce more paragliders and parachutes immediately. With Scott’s background in competitive canopy piloting, it became obvious that a high-performance competition wing was in the future.
The Hooker Project (named as a cheeky play on hook turns) was born in April 2013 and in the first month they had 3 different prototypes. Then the hard work of testing the wing began — not all of it successful. This project continued for over 3 years and had 16 entirely different designs with over 20 prototypes and countless minor changes such as lines or swapping out end and center cells. There were over 50 revisions to lines alone. The project was led by Scott and continued in parallel with the development of both the Prime and Helix wings.
In late 2014, they had something with most of the characteristics they wanted and significant performance advantages over conventional cross-braced wings on the market. However, it required a precise level of “active” piloting — similar to paragliders — which typical skydiving pilots weren’t trained for. So they went back to the drawing board and started from scratch once more to find the balance.
In late 2015, the final revision of the HK wing began to look like a serious contender. They built a few wings for the core Fluid Wings pilots to compete with and fine-tuned it until it was ready for release. Once all sizes were tested, the wing was released in spring 2016.
The HK is part of an ever-evolving project designed to supply pilots with a “race” concept competition wing. R&D is ongoing and the wing will be periodically updated to reflect state-of-the-art performance. There are no secret handshakes or exclusive clubs required to fly one — just the necessary skill and a passion for high-performance flight.
Fluid Wings already has the next evolution in the Hooker Project in development. It’s undergoing R&D and will be worth the wait. We know you’ll love it when it becomes available.
What we live by
At Fluid Wings, we’re more than wing manufacturers — we’re innovators shaping the future of flight. Every stitch, every curve, every detail is crafted with purpose. From design to testing, our mission is to deliver precision performance and unmatched confidence in the sky. Because we believe the wings you fly should be as bold as the jumper beneath them.
We believe skydiving gear should evolve as fast as the sport itself. Our journey started with one goal: to engineer wings that push boundaries. Through relentless research, testing, and real-world feedback from top jumpers, we’ve developed parachutes that don’t just perform — they redefine performance.
Fluid Wings was born from a simple idea: flight should feel effortless, personal, and unforgettable. As skydivers, designers, and dreamers, we set out to build wings that elevate every jump. What started in a small workshop has turned into a global community of flyers who trust us to help them push limits.
In the air
Swoop ponds, ridges, treelines and drop zones — shot by our pilots and our community.
Pilots // Performance // Proof
From those who live to fly.
I’ve been flying Fluid Wings since the early days, from testing prototypes to winning a World Championship. Their innovation, engineering, and craftsmanship speak for itself. I’m in my happy place when I’m flying Fluid.
Fluid Wings has been with me since almost the beginning of my team, and they’ve been so much more than just a sponsor. What I’ve always loved most about Fluid is the passion and love they put into everything they do. They’re constantly pushing boundaries, improving their wings, and genuinely caring about the people who fly them. Beyond their products, they’ve supported my growth as an athlete, opened doors to new disciplines, and given me opportunities I never expected. To me, Fluid has always felt more like family than a company, and that’s something I’ll always be grateful for.
There’s no company more obsessed with progression than Fluid Wings. Over 10+ years flying their products, I’ve watched them continually push themselves and, in turn, push the sport. Whether it’s swooping a Swiss glacier, a live demo, a film set or a hotel pool, I trust their wings to get the job done in the most fun way possible. A lot of companies make wings that can do everything we’re capable of right now. My bet is on Fluid Wings to design the wings that make us capable of more.
There is nothing like the Thor. The trim range is so large it’s like having two sizes of wing in one.
The revolutionary risers on the Thor give me confidence to dial in any line I fly into exactly the flight experience I am looking for.
The Thor is like a parakite with trimmers. It’s a perfect blend of the control of a parakite with all the strengths of a standard speed wing.
Flying the Thor was true love at first flight and began my path with Fluid Wings. Every wing they’ve produced has been innovative with high levels of performance and reliability. The consistency and comfort of their wings is why I fly Fluid and feel confident in referring other pilots to fly Fluid as well.
Overheard at the landing area Just for fun. Names made up, wings real.
Flying Fluid Wings made my wife happy. Since I started flying Fluid, my partner is happier and she says the relationship is better. It’s just too bad she left me and is with another guy, ’cause I’m at the DZ every waking hour jumping my new wing!
My landings got so smooth that the DZ dog stopped running away when I come in.
I told my wife I’d be home as soon as the thermals died down. That was in June.
The sky is calling
Request a demo and find out what twelve years of R&D feels like under your feet.
