JEFF SHAPIRO

ATHLETE FEATURE

By KAVU

January 30^th, 2024

WHO IS JEFF?

In the wild world of adventure sports, few athletes embody the spirit of adventure quite like Jeff Shapiro. As a KAVU athlete for almost two decades, Jeff has carved out a name for himself as a fearless pioneer in the realms of anything involving human powered flight. From conquering towering peaks in the Himalayas to soaring through the skies with a hang glider, paraglider, parachute, wing suit or in his Super Cub airplane. I think you get the idea…he loves to be in the air. Jeff's journey is a testament to both his unparalleled skill and unyielding passion for pushing the limits of what's possible. Join us as we delve into the life and adventures of this remarkable athlete, exploring the highs, the lows, and the indomitable spirit that drives him to widen his perspective.

When you were a kid what did you want to “be” when you grew up?

A bird. Actually, I did a 5th grade report on that exact question and with all honesty, I did my report on becoming a helicopter pilot. I’ll admit to being less interested in that specific form of flying but I think it shows my fascination with all-things flying from an early age. I also have always been drawn to historic explorers. Exploring, in the general sense was the most attractive life-pursuit from my earliest memories, but I didn’t realize it could actually still be a profession at some level until I was older and developed a more open sense of perspective.

Did you do the “standard” school route? Or did you take more of an unconventional approach to education?

Like most kids raised in the suburbs, I went to public school through 12th grade. In many ways, our school system dulls creativity and imagination and cultivates reform and societal norms, but I also had a few amazing teachers who made a significant impact on my life’s direction. I also think there’s a lot of benefit found in being in an environment that forced me to interact with people and situations that I didn’t like. Learning to deal with how the world is, as opposed to how I want it to be is a useful exercise. After high school, I went to an art college and got my first degree in something that I was passionate about, which had a significant effect on my effort and professional opportunity. After working as an Industrial Designer for several years, I went back to school and got a degree in Respiratory Care which led to working in critical care for a decade. But that profession had a lifespan that made moving on to a different path the best choice for me. Honestly, I never at any point in my life thought that being a professional athlete would be a way I’d make my living. Now, after 18 years of that job title, I’m still pinching myself daily. I’m so grateful for all of the experiences and relationships that this stage of my life has given me.

How did you get started doing what you do as a professional athlete for Team KAVU?Can you elaborate a bit on your journey of becoming a pro athlete. Where did it all begin? Do you have a core memory of a moment or time when you were like “yes”…this is the thing I love to do and I want to do it all the time? Was there a particular person in your life that played a role in helping you along your journey of becoming a pro athlete/ on team KAVU? Basically can you give me a little background on your journey of how you got to this point in your life of being a pro athlete/ ambassador for KAVU?

While working at a local hospital in Montana, I’d been extremely focused on competitive hang gliding, and on rock and ice climbing. After being ranked and able to represent both the largest hang gliding manufacture in the world, and our country in international competition, coupled with some first ascents around the world, including a new, difficult route in the Tibetan Himalaya, I was lucky enough that my sponsors were offering opportunity and support that was greater than my salary at the hospital. It was only then that I realized it might be possible, albeit risky, to throw my hat in the ring and see if I could make a life and help to take care of my family with my life’s passions. I also supplemented sponsorships with design work, helping to build a competition-class hang gliding harness that ended up being sold to pilots all over the world. It was an exciting time and I owe everything to the amazing people who put so much belief in me and have supported what’s become the most intense and incredible experiences of my life over the last two decades.

What are you most passionate about? Like if you finished checking off all the things on your “responsibilities” list and you had a day fully free and open to do anything you wanted, what would you do with that free time?

That’s seriously a toss-up. It used to be a BASE jump, and now it’s either surfing, climbing, trail running but no matter what form it comes in, I think time alone in the sky, mountains or ocean has been so valuable to me for re-orienting myself to what’s important, and in contrast what’s totally trivial. That quiet time that I can be fully present and solely focused on letting pure thoughts flow in an environment that I have zero control over has incredible worth. With that said, any, and all time I can spend with my partner and best friend, Kara and/or my daughter Nya is time that these days means more to me than absolutely everything else. It’s time that you can’t get back if it’s missed. When I die, I don’t want to feel like I didn’t choose to be with the most important people in my life enough. That’s something I’m super conscious about at this point in my life.

What is your favorite thing to do that is not related to the sports things you get paid to do as an athlete?

Flying the bush plane in the mountains with family or friends, hunting with our falcon (Cirrus), fly fishing a remote river or creek, or…. Probably most of all, walking on an empty beach with my family and dogs.

How many years have you been a KAVU athlete? Do you have a favorite memory/ trip over the years of being on Team KAVU?

This is my 18th season as a KAVU athlete and I’d say I have several “favorite memories” from my time on the KAVU team. In fact, my life’s highlights (recreationally) have been on KAVU trips, for sure! A couple of first ascents in the Himalaya, wing suit BASE jumping all over Europe, racing a hang glider at a couple world championships, racing the X-Pyr or crossing the Brooks Range in a paraglider, sailing across the South Atlantic on the Wizard’s Eye, surfing Teahupo’o, routes and airtime in Yosemite, helicopter skydives over cities and mountains alike…. I mean, I was lucky enough to solo a peak right on a border shared by Russia, China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan (could look into all 4 countries), before flying my paraglider with another KAVU athlete and legend, before getting to handle a Golden Eagle in the northern Altai…. all on a single trip! How lucky is that!! I literally can’t begin to list the amazing memories that have come from being on the KAVU team. Oh, and jumping off the roof of a particular downtown building in the middle of the night during a KAVU Christmas party with some of my favorite people might come to mind, as well;-). Ha ha ha.. There’s too much luck to list. Definitely more than I deserve;-)

What is your favorite part about being on Team KAVU and what makes it special to you?

For me, my favorite part of being on Team KAVU is what the brand stands for. And, that all of the people involved in KAVU (from the owner to the office, to design, and the warehouse, to the athlete team) live their lives authentic to that ethos. “Work hard, enjoy life, be thankful, spread good vibes and try to make an honest and positive impact on the world in the ways that each of us can”. In the end, it seems like that’s all I have. Doing my very best to spend my time trying to live a positive life and sharing as much of that positivity with people in this world seems worthwhile. To me, that’s KAVU.

Have you ever had any close calls/ injuries/ near death experiences in your sport/ craft? What did you learn/ take away from this moment?

I have had a few…. Ha ha ha. Being sucked up into a storm cloud in a broken hang glider and a few avalanche close calls…. maybe a big climbing fall or two all come to mind but for sure, the closest call of my life would be a near miss in Switzerland during a wing suit BASE jump. I basically came about as close to dying as a human can without actually doing it on that jump. There have been moments where in the chaos I thought, “this might be it for me”. But during this one event, I didn’t think, I was 100% sure that I was living my last moments on the planet: absolutely certain. In fact, I was literally shocked when I found myself on the ground and still aware and breathing. My time in the hospital afforded a lot of questions and some clarity. Over time, the clarity continues to come into focus but one of the most immediate lessons was that the only things that matter in life are love, honesty, forgiveness and spending the time I have with intention, gratitude, and humility. I didn’t find myself wanting more things, just wanting (and grateful for) more time. Time is free, but it’s priceless. I never want to take that for granted and the way I use my time is now something I’m more aware of daily. Even with that event occurring several years ago now, it’s something that’s still on the forefront of every day for me. I honestly wish more people could experience something like it. I think the world might be a better place.

What do you feel is your most important resource in life and why is it the most important resource to you?

My two most important resources in life are my attitude and my health. If both of those things are in good shape, I can offer the best of myself to the most important aspects of my life: my family, friends and the activities that add joy, lessons and opportunities for experience.

WHAT IS A PIECE OF WISDOM YOU WOULD GIVE TO A GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL CLASS?

Chase down the things that call the loudest to you. In other words, those things in your life that inspire you, create curiosity and motivation…. Focus on them. Making money to be a responsible human, helping others (service of some sort) and relationships will all develop with perspective. And understand that there are many ways to look at the world around you. Travel, and search, and see, and learn as much as you can. The earlier a person can learn to focus on what they have, as opposed to what they don’t have will make life more meaningful in all its stages, in my opinion.