This review covers the PACE, Skywalk's ultra-light, ultra-compact single surface paraglider, launched in October 2023 alongside their matching minimalist SLEEVE string harness and tiny ULTRA 18L backpack, both made with the PACE in mind. Weighing just over 1 kg for the smallest size, the PACE is, at the time of writing, the world's lightest EN/LTF B-certified paraglider. With a tiny 5L pack size, effortless takeoff, easy handling, and smooth landings, it's ideal for pilots looking to combine flying with mountain activities like hiking, trail running, climbing, and alpinism.

When paired with Skywalk’s ultra-light minimalist gear—the SLEEVE mountain harness, TAPA X-ALPS reserve, DROP front container, and ULTRA backpack—you get a full ‘PACE package’ weighing just over 2 kg!

What's a single skin wing?

A single-skin wing is a paraglider with just one surface forming the aerofoil—essentially just the ‘top’ surface—unlike double-surface wings, which have both a top and bottom surface.

See Single Surface Paragliders

Developed in collaboration with Jean-Baptiste Chandelier

The PACE was developed by Skywalk’s R&D team in collaboration with renowned French pro freestyle and acro pilot Jean-Baptiste Chandelier, a Skywalk designer known for popular paragliding films like Touch, Weightless, and Urban Side.

PACE sizes, weight ranges & certification

The PACE comes in three sizes—70+, 85+, and 95+—covering all-up weights from 50 to 110 kg, with flat areas of 16, 18 and 20 m2, and weighing from 1.05 to 1.24 kg. It holds EN/LTF B flight certification within these weight ranges, without an accelerator (optional trimmers available).

Which size PACE is best for me?

For each PACE size, Skywalk provides "recommended", "slow", and "dynamic" all-up weight ranges in a graphic to help you choose the right size based on your flying weight and preferences.

For example, the 70+ size has a certified weight range of 50-90 kg, "recommended" 60-75 kg, "slow" 50-60 kg, and "dynamic" 75-90 kg. The size name reflects the ideal all-up weight in kg—e.g., 70 kg for the 70+ size.

We tested the PACE 70+ at 88 kg all-up, well into its dynamic range and close to its max load. At this weight, it felt highly responsive to brake inputs, requiring steady control to avoid pilot-induced oscillation (PIO), which you can spot in the glide-down section of our review video.

In contrast, the PACE 85+ (certified 65-100 kg, "recommended" 70-90 kg, "slow" 65-70 kg, "dynamic" 90-100 kg, ideal 85 kg) at the same 88 kg all-up—within its recommended range and near its ideal load—is noticeably calmer and less sensitive to control inputs, with much less chance of PIO. This is partly due to the lower wing loading but also the size difference, as smaller wings are naturally more responsive and tend to have higher pilot demands.

PACE design, materials, overall package?

Skywalk's vision for the PACE is to make flying more accessible, bridging outdoor and mountain sports. Designed for hikers, trail runners, climbers, and ambitious alpinists, it enables a seamless transition—hike, run, or climb up, then fly down. They see it as a game changer.

Skywalk's main design criteria for the PACE was:

• Tiny pack volume
• Ultra-lightweight
• Super-easy launch
• Undemanding to fly
• Good landing
• Flight certified EN / LTF B

Skywalk didn’t just aim for a marketing-led approach to make the lightest wing at all costs. Instead, they prioritised the right balance of weight, pack size, durability, and usability. They could have gone lighter, but not without compromising key aspects. First, they set limits on ease of use, durability, behaviour, and performance. Then, they made it as light and compact as possible within those limits.

Excellent launch, landing, speed, and stability. Its ultralight design, short lines, and high auto-stability make the PACE one of the most stable wings, according to Skywalk.

The PACE's inflatable double-surface leading edge improves performance, while Skywalk has minimised the use of wing rods to keep weight and pack size down. To optimize performance, the leading edge has a well-defined structure with more cells and ribs, whereas the rear part of the wing has fewer cells, reducing weight, simplifying line setup, and making the wing easier to prepare for launch.

The PACE features a nudge ring system on the brake lines. When you brake deeply, the small rings pull the rear lines down slightly, giving them a 'nudge' that enhances flare and adds lift for smoother landings. This is especially important for a smaller single-surface wing. The nudge ring also increases brake pressure, providing clearer feedback when the brakes are deep, which is crucial for this ultra-light wing with light brake pressure.

Matching Skywalk PACE products & weights

Given weights of the smallest, lightest sizes of PACE and matching Skywalk products:

• PACE 70+ wing: 1.05 kg
• SLEEVE harness (one size): 0.24 kg
• TAPA X-ALPS 90 reserve: 0.784 kg
• DROP XS front container: 0.105 kg
• ULTRA backpack 18L (one size): 0.315 kg

Total weight: 2.495 kg.

Adding a light paragliding helmet and gloves:

• Supair PILOT helmet: 0.38 kg
• Supair TOUCH Gloves M: 0.09 kg

Total weight: 2.97 kg.

Does the PACE come with an accelerator system?

The PACE wing comes without an accelerator system as standard—neither a speed system nor trimmers. However, it can be retrofitted with the optional adjustable Skywalk PACE Trimmer System, allowing the pilot to increase airspeed above trim if needed and improving flare behaviour. However, using the trimmers invalidates EN/LTF flight certification, which is why the PACE is supplied without them to maintain compliance.

What's with the golf tees? ⛳

The PACE comes with what look like golf tees ("hooks"), webbing loops ("ribbons") and the wing has some loops stitched into it. These are for aiding launching on steep and slippery terrain, where the wing tends to slide down the slope. You attach the ribbons to the loops, which are then weighted with an object (stone, branch, etc.) to keep the leading edge open and prevent the wing from sliding away in steep terrain while you;'re getting ready to launch.

Build quality and materials

As usual with Skywalk, the build quality is excellent.

The wing is made of a mix of double coated Porcher Skytex 27 and Dominico 10D. The wing ribs are a mix of Porcher Skytex 27 and 32 hard.

There are minimal, short and lightweight wing rods, only in the leading edge. Skywalk calls these "rigid foils" and have chosen to make these with light, flexible and kink resistant nylon (rather than nitinol) as they feel these offer the best overall compromise currently available.

Skywalk says the wing has 41 cells but this is only at the front. The rear section has 1/3 of the number of cells, one for every three at the front.

The lines are a mix of Liros and Edelrid. They are all unsheathed, except the main brake line.

The risers are made of 4mm Amare. This kind of extremely thin cord style risers tend to be rather fiddly to handle, as they tend to be soft and floppy and tangle easily, but these are better handling than most as they are stiffer, and very well designed and made. The risers do not have maillons or soft links, the lines are directly looped on the risers. For trimming, the risers must first be unlooped.

The pack volume is tiny - one of the smallest we've ever seen!

In real life, the ultra-light, ultra-thin cloth can get damaged significantly more easily than heavier weight cloths, especially in harsher terrain and plants and if dragged and banged about. It's best to minimize any friction, especially on rough surfaces!

Skywalk says "With this strict observance you will have the same durability as with a conventional glider-cloth." but from our experience (and that of our customers) we think that realistically you should expect the wing to last less time. How much less depends on how and where you use it.

No accelerator as standard, optional trimmers can be fitted

The PACE comes without an accelerator system as standard—neither a speed system nor trimmers, to maintain compliance with its EN/LTF flight certification. It can be retrofitted with the optional adjustable PACE Trimmer System, allowing the pilot to increase airspeed above trim if needed and improving flare behaviour, however this invalidates its EN/LTF flight certification.

Ground handling and kiting? Ri-donk-ulously easy!

To quote Puss in Boots in the animated film Shrek Forever After, ground handling the PACE is so easy it's ri-donk-ulous! In anything other than nil wind or rather gusty conditions, it will launch and ground handle almost completely by itself, requiring no or minimal pilot input. Puss could shine his boots, Shrek could cook up a fine weed rat stew and Donkey could eat several waffles whilst kiting the PACE!

Launching in nil and light wind. Look mum, no hands!

As usual for single-skin wings, especially light ones, the PACE doesn't require using the front (A) risers / lines to inflate the wing for launch, even in nil wind. In fact, it's generally best not to, as it's easy to over-input and make the wing come up too fast (but then it's easy to stop the wing overflying, and it tends to stop on its own at or just after the zenith, anyway). In a light steady breeze, the wing comes up so easily and is so pitch stable that you don't even really have to hold the brakes (but it's anyway recommended that you do). You can just pull on the wing with your body and run to launch.

Launching in nil or light winds is a strength of single skin wings, especially lightweight ones! The PACE is no exception.

Exactly how far you will need to run to lift off depends on wing loading, the launch site, the wind, and pilot technique, but the PACE lifts off surprisingly well for a single skin wing of its size.

Launching in a breeze

As usual for single-skin wings, especially light ones, the PACE tends to want to come up and fly as soon as there is any breeze, and is hard to hold down in a stronger breeze.

Launching in breezy conditions is a weakness of single skin wings, especially light ones! The PACE is no exception.

Breezy side note: A cool-looking solution for launching in a breeze is to use the upside down, flipside launch trick - laying the wing out upside down for launch, leading edge facing down towards the ground, trailing edge facing up to the sky - as Skywalk suggests. However this greatly increases wear and tear on the wing, especially the leading edge, even on very friendly smooth grassy launches, and is not advisable on anything other than smooth grassy launches. If you do use this technique, it's important to do it correctly, minimising wear and tear on the wing. Doing this incorrectly or on unsuitable surfaces could easily result in damage to the wing.

Managing the wing in breezy conditions?

Same techniques as with all wings, but more critical with ultra-light and single-surface wings.

Bear in mind that the wing will want to 'auto-launch' in any wind as soon as there is tension on the lines. Walk around the wing, keeping some tension on the lines, to turn it sideways to the wind. Minimize dragging the wing.

The motto is always: Just enough!

Flying the PACE in active air?

As with other ultra-light single skin wings, the PACE moves around a lot in active air. This is the same as for other single skin wings, especially ultra-light ones. This is due to the combination of very low weight, meaning little inertia, plus no internal structure - no diagonal ribs - and no air inside the wing, except for a little the leading edge, meaning less rigidity. This all means that the wing moves around a lot in active air.

Pilots not used to this, used to double-surface wings, will likely find this quite disconcerting at first.

However after a while (and maybe some deep breathing and calming self-talk) you realise that the wing only moves so far and quickly settles and so it's OK - and right - to let it move around. Over correcting the wing will significantly deteriorate the wing's performance - glide and sink rate - especially in active air, through sink and into a headwind!

It is generally not recommended to fly single skin wings in very turbulent conditions, mostly because they move around a lot (which can be uncomfortable, even if not necessarily unsafe) but also because they will lose out more in choppy air, especially sink and gusty head winds, all of which equals not so much fun. They are best suited to flying in smooth conditions. The PACE is no exception to this, even though it behaves relatively very well.

There are some other ultra-light single surface wings which behave and perform worse - some far worse. As with types and classes of wings (and harnesses, reserves, instruments, helmets, bags etc) it is a mistake to lump them all together - they are certainly not all the same, and not all equal!

Thermalling?

Whilst if the lift was strong enough you would climb and could thermal with the PACE, it's predominantly designed to hike / run / climb up and fly down. When normal paragliders are scratching or climbing weakly, the PACE will go down. The best larger single surface wings have a slightly better sink rate, and climb a little better, but, depending on the wing loading, and assuming the same kind of harness (and harness / pilot drag), there's not as much difference as some might expect. The best similar-sized double surface hike-and-fly mini wings have a noticeably better sink and climb rate than the PACE, even though it's one of the best performing small single surface wings.

How responsive is the wing to pilot inputs? 

In flight, the brakes are very light and the wing is highly responsive. When you brake the wing turns directly, almost no delay. This makes handling more intuitive than a heavier wing, but also more sensitive. But then due to the very low weight - low inertia - and high stability, the wing quickly settles and comes back to the standard position above your head, with little tendency to roll or pitch.

How's the stallpoint, spin point?

The stallpoint is clear and arrives with deep brakes, however the very low brake weight means very light brakes (the nudge ring system helps a little here) and heavy handedness could lead to inadvertent stall or spin, as well as pilot induced oscillation (PIO) due to the highly responsive handling. So quite forgiving but requires some sensitivity. 

How’s the overall feedback from the wing? 

The wing gives lots of feedback so the pilot always knows exactly what’s going on - even if they don't necessarily want to. However, you get used to this after a while, and come to realise this is just how single surface wings are, and learn to adjust your response and reactions to this. The degree of feedback and movement that signifies danger for a double surface wing is not the same as for a single surface wing (more).

Performance, speed and glide?

As to be expected for a smaller wing, the trim speed is relatively high. As to be expected for a single surface wing, not as high as a same size double surface wing. This is one of the main reasons pilots tend to fly single surface wings more loaded than double surface wings.

For a small single surface paraglider, the glide performance is very good, one of the best we've tested. It's not as good as the best double surface wings of the same size, but they aren't quite as ultra-light and ulta-compact, and generally have higher pilot demands.

The optional adjustable trimmer system (available for retrofitting) increases the trim speed (by a few to several km/h) and enhances the flare behavior. However it also degrades the max glide (nil wind) and when using the trimmer system, the LTF/EN B certification is no longer valid. It's something you'd either use because you need to (the wind picks up to above trim speed), or because you wanted to get to where you're going or down faster, or just for fun. It's not something you'd use to enhance your XC performance.

Stability and passive safety? 

As with most single skin wings the PACE is very pitch stable. It even very well behaved when compared to other good single skin wings. There's no need to apply brakes to 'catch the dive', even after exiting a deep spiral (although most paraglider pilots used to flying double surface wings might find it hard or impossible to stop themselves doing so).

Descent techniques: big ears, spiral dives?

We haven't tested these yet but Skywalk have made an useful and informative PACE tutorial video PACE tutorial video with Jean-Baptiste Chandelier covering big ears and spiral dives - as well as launching, throw-and-go trick, landing, packing and more, which we highly recommend anyone owning a PACE (or similar single skin wing) or considering ordering one should watch PACE tutorial video below: 

Landing

Skywalk says the PACE has exceptionally good landing behavior for a smaller single skin wing. However the landing is more demanding - less forgiving - than a larger double surface wing. Your final approach must be full speed, hands all the way up. Even a little bit of brake will make the flare much less effective, resulting in a faster and harder landing. At the right moment, apply a smooth flare, as normal. Don't brake too aggressively as this will kill the wing and cause it to stall suddenly.

It's possible to use the expert swoop-in landing technique - pulling some brake a bit higher up then releasing to create a dive, for even higher air speed, and perfectly timed flare - which, if done right, can result in an even smoother (and cooler looking) landing. However, if done wrong this will result in a much faster and harder landing (definitely not cool). So if in doubt, keep it simple and use a normal landing technique.

If landing in breezy conditions, it's best to walk around the wing, keeping some tension on the lines, to turn it sideways to the wind. Minimize dragging the wing around. As always, just enough!

PACE main competitors?

At the time of writing, the main competitors to the PACE are the AirDesign Ronin, AirDesign UFO 2, Niviuk Skin 3 P and Ozone XXLite 2 ultra-light single surface paragliders, the closest being the AirDesign Ronin. Comparative key data and more info links for these and the PACE below, listed alphabetically.

AirDesign Ronin

• 4 sizes, 55-120 kg
• Flat areas 12.18-18.53 m2
• Weights 1.03-1.45 kg
• Certified EN/LTF B-C, extended EN 926-1*
• Accelerator? No

See more info about the AirDesign Ronin.

AirDesign UFO 2

• 5 sizes, 45-110kg
• Flat areas 13-19.44 m2
• Weights 1.36-1.95 kg
• Certified EN/LTF A-C
• Accelerator? Yes, speed system

See more info about the AirDesign UFO 2.

Niviuk Skin 3 P

• 3 sizes, 60-110 kg
• Flat areas 16-20 m2
• Weights 1.6-2.0 kg
• Certified EN/LTF B (18, 20), EN 926-1* (16)
• Accelerator? Yes, trimmers

See more info about the Niviuk Skin 3 P.

Ozone XXLite 2

• 2 sizes, 55-105 kg
• Flat areas 16-18 m2
• Weights 1.3-1.4 kg
• Certified EN/LTF D
• Accelerator? Yes, speed system

See more info about the Ozone XXLite 2.

Skywalk PACE

• 3 sizes, 50-110 kg
• Flat areas 16-20 m2
• Weights 1.05-1.24 kg
• Certified EN/LTF B (without accelerator)
• Accelerator? No (optional trimmers, uncertified)

See more info about the Skywalk PACE.

* EN 926-1: EN load test only.

See current Single Surface Paragliders

Is SIV recommended with the PACE?

No, it's not recommended to do SIV with the PACE, for a few reasons.

It's not recommended to do SIV with single skin wings generally. For the reasons mentioned earlier, the behavior is very dynamic - very fast, faster than with heavier double surface wings. It's also not comfortable doing SIV with these wings, because when the wing reopens it tends to be quite violent, with a shock.

Also, because SIV can result in extreme stresses on the wing, especially when done by normal pilots, not test pilots, the ultra-light materials can be more easily damaged.

This kind of wing should only be used for what it is designed for. Using it for other purposes will result in excessive wear and tear to the wing, making it age prematurely, likely causing damage - even on first use - and potentially invalidating the warranty (due to misuse).

Who is the PACE for? 

The extremely small pack size, extremely easy takeoff, easy flight and landing behavior, make it accessible to a wide range of pilots - especially those looking for a wing to mix with their other outdoor mountain activities, such as hiking (hike and fly), trail running (run and fly), climbing and alpinism / mountaineering (climb and fly).

Storing the PACE?

The PACE is supplied complete with two packs: a larger standard compress inner bag, for normal packing, and a smaller 'deflation bag', for extremely compact packing. The wing should not always be used, as lighter packing will accelerate wear,and the wing should not be stored for long periods in the deflation bag as this will shorten life of the wing over time.

Harness best-suited to the PACE?

With the PACE in mind, Skywalk offers the SLEEVE, an ultralight harness specially developed for trail runners, climbers, ski mountaineers, bike packers and all ambitious alpinists who do not want to compromise on weight and packing size. The puristic, ultralight harness weighs only 240 grams, fits easily into your jacket pocket and is approved for a take-off weight of up to 110 kilograms. No protection. 

If you prefer something a bit more substantial, Skywalk off the CORE Pure Set, weighing 410 g. No protection.

If you prefer some protection, Skywalk offers the CORE Permair Set, with inflatable protector, weighing 800 g.

Reserve best-suited to the PACE?

If you want to fly with a reserve parachute, Skywalk offer the ultra-light, minimalist DROP front container, designed with the ultra-light and ultra-compact Skywalk TAPA X-ALPS.

Backpack for the PACE?

With the PACE, SLEEVE, TAPA X-ALPS and DROP package in mind, Skywalk offers the ULTRA Backpack 18. This has a volume of 18 litres, and weighs 315 g. If the helmet doesn't fit inside the bag, this comes with a helmet net weighing 25 g to fix the helmet outside.

The gear is so light and compact that you could even use the Advance LIGHTBAG 2 Ultralight Backpack, volume 15 liters, weight 52 grams!

Helmet best-suited to the PACE?

We recommend the Supair PILOT, weight 380 g with ear covers (shell 320 g).

Flight instruments best-suited to the PACE?

None, probably. Just your smartphone. Since the PACE is all about minimalism and is predominantly designed to hike-run-climb up and fly down, most would probably just use an a flight app on their smartphone, if anything.

That's all folks!

That's a wrap on our Skywalk PACE review! Find the best new wings, harnesses, and gear at flybubble.com, plus great deals on used and ex-test kit. We also offer package deals and part-exchange. Need expert advice? Sign up for our popular match service to get the best gear for you—helping you fly safer, better, and longer. Have fun out there!