| OCR Text |
Show OANA MeRN oO oc June 1996 ~ PARAGLIDING con't the lesson | ; | with kiting» skills. Kiting means get- ting the glider or “wing” aloft in the wind, and steering it back and forth over your head using the steering toggles or “brakes,” as well as body position. Our initial efforts resembled a drunken blindfolded samba, but after twenty minutes Mayer proclaimed us ready to start flying. We switched to larger wings and headed up the hill. | There are two ways to launch a paraglider, a forward launch and a reverse launch. During the kiting drills we were facing the wing with the lines crossed, as one does in a reverse launch; on the hill injury-free. Had it stayed calm enough, Mayer said - we ready to launch from the top of the hill for some “real flights.” Unfortunately. since the wind was becoming turbulent and gusty, we had to quit after _ four training flights. Those who show up on time | POWDER GREAT COFFEE... .»-BOTH ADDICTING | paragliding is relatively light on] so which to jump. One at be an athlete you need not |] arranged the wing in its proper position, the “wall,” then bellowed “Clear!” and sprinted downhill, lifting the wing behind us. As elite to master _it.] (Bd. note: | 3 DP is defi- |] 1] hour nitely proof] of this.) . Siw like the hand of Shiva on steroids. Pulling on the front of my harness, Mayer steadied me and spirit_ éd me to keep running; seemingly like magic, I was suddenly aloft. “Hands up!”’ Mayer yelled, as in my wondermentI had unwittingly pulled down on both brakes, flaring the wing and bringing me back down to the grass. I kept running and left the ground once again, longer this time. After an unsteady landing I breathlessly walked back up the hill, only to hear that I’d been about six inches off the ground, not the Cof ce of thrill and adrenaline available: the current record for time aloft is over fourteen hours, and the distance record is one hundred sev- enty miles. Certainly the equipment isn’t 320 E. ON 400 S. wathout Compromnre , : A is JL plenty = Mon. ~ 247 However, there Mayer attempting to get the author off the erceliate - enough, for as the wing inflated it jerked me back cae steal Ln Windsurfing Ary. Gear For Sale ~ a Dees Ludicrously low, assininely affordable, preposterously priced! free, starting at about a thousand to fifteen] =>Bi¢ Vivace 270 slalom board, straps and two blade hundred for second-hand gear, going up t0/ fing $950 (new $1049) $350 with deluxe padded Da three to five thousand for new. However, once certified you rent will schools the Kine foil board bag. | | jh | equipment if you cannot afford to buy it, <>MisTRAL Ecstasy Bump AND JUMP/wave board, 84 ; and compared to other sports out there like | Straps and 2 fins, $425 (new $1100) 7 See windsurfing, this is like a tetanus shot: it} S>PIBERSPAR World Cup Carbon boom, 56 -70 : with several fathoms I had thought at the time. only hurts a bit at first, then you’re glad you| Da Kine adjustable lines and uphaul, $175 The three of us took turns launching, with the physical aid and high-decibel coaching of our did it. Having had my virgin voyage I fully | =sHot Sais Maul 4.0 Gridlock Wave, $150. expect to sacrifice another Visa card to the “Hot Sais Maut 4.5 AWOL VR bump and jump, $200 Medina: $200 instructor, until we had four “flights” each. The last one was actually worthy of its moniker, as I spent some fifteen seconds at around twenty feet, actual- ly turning and maneuvering as if I meant it, before flaring into a two-point landing. My fellow journalists fared slightly less well upon landing, using knees, hips, buttocks and backs to swab the grass but remaining unhurt and _ Visit instruction and a sound coconut on your shoulders, however, you enjoy a lifetime of flying VR bump and jump, page: | Qnza mountain bike clipless pedals, used thrice $30 — web the Call dave @ : http://www.utw.com/~mayer/steve.html 801.647.5851 (Sorry, Charlie!) DIVE UTAH - HOLLADAY FULL SERVICE SCUBA CENTER - LARGE 12’ DEEP POOL a SALES Scubapro, Sherwood, — \.. Wenoke, Ocean Edge, Harvey, Many Others Me, ended up other than on my feet.” _ safety for granted. With proper 5.0 AWOL Da Kine padded fin stash, $15 had a student get hurt, and of my two thousand flights, only two. slow flight compared to hang gliding. Some people take the Sails Maut E-mail: mayér@utw.com enthusiastic. There is certainly inherent risk In paragliding, as in every form of flight; much of that risk is due to the quick learning curve and the apparent ease and relatively Hor |Da Kine Kalama chest harness, medium $30 Point, Mayer said “I’ve never can Paragliding Utah at: Phone: (801)942-7078 Unfortunately the film in the camera ran out before their respective splashdowns. Asked about his safety record at the - AND DEEP for the initial sprint of a forward launch, exertion, hard as I thought I was running it wasn’t $2,500 or best offer : Call John at 486-1388 many pilots much older than that. Anyone under sixteen years of age is still viable, but they must be accompanied by adults. Mayer’s seven year-old brother has even flown with him on a tandem flight. Except CJ-7 Laredo §. & bikini, hard doors, Chrome | A Wheels. 2.8 liter V-6 Is paragliding for everyone? Age certainly is not an obstacle, as Mayer has had students ranging from sixteen to fifty years old; there are light, or the pilot has | no steep precipice off we 1983 Jeep will get more flight time. © we learned the forward launch. This is used when the wind is | a time, _ =», 104,000 Miles, Black, Soft top LESSONS : Open Water Certification Advanced Rescue Dive Master All Specialties TRAVEL Customized individual itiner- COMMERCIAL Underwater construction, maintenance or salvage. 5} a STORE | M-F 10-6 SAT 10-4 ’ aries for yourself, your family or your group. | RENTALS Regulators, BC’s, masks, na T na é 6 =EpE\ Kk (277-3488) HOURS Instructor Training | snorkels, fins, bags, wet suits, cameras & video equipment ‘ DIVE _ Assistant Instructor REPAIRS Professional and timely main* tenance of your valuable equipment | . Frequent Classes Plus. “Special Scheduling” - Learn in our Beautiful Pool Sy ALS |. Ee »—~¢ 69S. a XN q = EL <6pepep™= 2225 A Be —— A Fr CLASSES TAUGHT BY 7 ataceeee ® KE. WY Page 5 ’ eet et ae gt |
