Tools of the XC Trade

Stoked to be contributing to the recently launched website TheParaglider.com.  They have just posted a feature I wrote back in January for United States Hangliding and Paragliding magazine.  If you missed it, have a read.  This was an attempt to consolidate all the massive amount of info I heard and learned about during the PWC and Open Distance Nationals last August in Sun Valley.

I avoided paragliding consciously for over ten years. Many good friends were pilots, all of them continuously prodded me to make my first jump. It looked like a blast, something I’d probably take to; but I also kept hearing the old saying that “there are old pilots, and there are bold pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots.” Accidents seemed frequent with rather…long term consequences. I’m a total adrenaline junky. I don’t have a very good “stop” button. If a conservative, methodical approach was required to be safe then paragliding was not the sport for me. I dreamed of flying, but kept my feet on the ground.

To read the rest of the article and learn from such radical pilots as Russel Ogden, Matt Beechinor, Nate Scales, Bill Belcourt and Nick Greece, go here.  The article covers equipment, attitude, training, supplies, and essentials that belong in your kit.