Ryan Shaw is the owner of Paradrenalin (PPG Sales and Instruction), and the owner and founder of AeroBatixUSA, the premier PPG Pylon Racing organization in the U.S.
At age 31, Ryan has a paragliding resume more befitting a person twice his age. A native of Zimbabwe, Ryan began flying paragliders in 1993, at age 13. By age 16, Ryan’s obvious skills in the competitive arena caught the attention of PG pilots. Before he knew it, Ryan was competing on the International PG circuit as a professional pilot, winning and/or placing in numerous competitions worldwide. In fact, With the exception of Antarctica, Ryan has flown every continent on the planet, and has accumulated in excess of 10,000 flying hours….a number more typical of a retired commercial airline pilot.
In 1996, Ryan tried powered paragliding for the first time. It was here that he discovered what would not only become his passion, but a career as well. After moving to Phoenix, AZ, Ryan purchased Paradrenalin in 2007. Ryan quickly observed a void in the PPG industry, specifically with regard to overall quality and reliability. With this realization, Ryan developed a relationship with Nirvana Paramotors ( In the Czech Republic ). Nirvana, while well known in Europe and Asia as the premier PPG company, had virtually no presence in the US. That changed quickly as Ryan became the US importer for Nirvana, and established a nationwide sales and support network. Ryan attributes the success of this venture to a philosophy of “Consistently exceeding customer expectations…whether we’re talking about our products, training, or long term support. Our goal is to strive for excellence at every turn, and to keep our customers for life. “
Running multiple successful businesses, doesn’t leave Ryan with too much time to indulge in peripheral activities. In spite of these limitations, Ryan has managed to squeeze in a few notable achievements in just this last year:
And, just for good measure, Ryan was honored by the Jeff Goin with the 2011 ‘Man of the Year’ award, for his competitive achievements, contributions to our sport, and his unrelenting dedication to safety and excellence.
February 2012
Ryan Shaw is the newest member of the Nirvana Race Team! The NRT consists of some of the best Powered Paraglider pilots in the world. They also hold many world and European Championship titles!
Ryan Shaw is a USHGA certified Tandem Instructor and USPPA certified Instructor/Administrator and Tandem Instructor/Administrator. He is also a rated commercial airplane pilot, flies sailplanes and B.A.S.E jumps for fun.