Patrick de Gayardon
French skydiver and skysurfer
About Patrick de Gayardon
Lived 1960 – 1998 (aged 38). Patrick de Gayardon was a French skydiver.
Patrick de Gayardon (; 23 January 1960 in Oullins, Rhône – 13 April 1998 in Hawaii) was a French skydiver, skysurfer and a BASE jumper.
De Gayardon was famous for pushing the boundaries of skydiving. He was one of the first people to develop the unique style of skysurfing, in which skydivers use a snowboard to make aerobatic maneuvers. He also made many famous stunts with his development of a ram-air wingsuit, starting modern-day wingsuiting. In 1998 Patrick fell to his death in Hawaii during a skydive with Adrian Nicholas using the wingsuit while testing a modification to his parachute container; his death is attributed to a rigging error he made while making the modification.
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Important facts
People in Patrick de Gayardon's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Patrick de Gayardon's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Patrick de Gayardon?
French skydiver and skysurfer (1960-1998)
When was Patrick de Gayardon born?
Patrick de Gayardon was born on 23 January 1960 in Oullins.
When did Patrick de Gayardon die?
Patrick de Gayardon died on 13 April 1998 in Hawaii.
What was Patrick de Gayardon's occupation?
Patrick de Gayardon was a skydiver.
What nationality was Patrick de Gayardon?
Patrick de Gayardon was French.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: Patrick de Gayardon
· DBpedia: Patrick de Gayardon
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Patrick de Gayardon. https://biography.guide/patrick-de-gayardon/
MLA: "Patrick de Gayardon." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/patrick-de-gayardon/.
Chicago: "Patrick de Gayardon." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/patrick-de-gayardon/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-25 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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