03/09/2026
We have lost a legend – Toni Bender RIP. As reported by our friends at Nova, Toni died of natural causes while bivouacking in the mountains. It could not be more fitting.
Toni was known to so many pilots – especially the Nova family. He had been with Nova since the beginning, and had been a test pilot, competition pilot, ambassador – and the face of the brand as “Toni on Tour”, running testing weekends around Europe.
Toni had flown pretty much everything and everywhere: hang gliders, rigid wings, paragliders, kites… the lot. One of our favourite Toni stories – and there are many – was when he told us that in the early days of hang gliding they would soak a long-sleeve T-shirt and wear that before launch. What for, we asked? “Because we had no varios – so we knew we were going up by the temperature change on our skin.”
He was a pioneer in many ways - not least as the original inspiration for the Red Bull X-Alps. As the X-Alps say on their website: "The concept for Red Bull X-Alps was inspired by Toni Bender’s north to south crossing of the Alps in 1999. His hiking and paragliding adventure became the subject of a documentary that caught the eye of [X-Alps co-founder] Hannes Arch. This inspired Arch and his good friend Ulrich Grill to ask themselves if such an incredible feat could be made into a competition – but across the length of the Alps."
Many people will be telling Toni stories over the coming days and weeks, including at the upcoming Coupe Icare. We look forward to that, and to celebrating his life.
Sending our condolences to Toni's family, the Nova crew, and Toni's many friends around the world.
Photos: Toni Bender in January this year.
Credit: Erwin Voogt
