Flight 16 – Photo by my Mama
How do you describe joy? A feeling a great pleasure and happiness? That’s my dictionary entry, but it's not quite right. There’s something beyond the body with joy. When you’re high you’re not quite all body. There’s an experience that goes beyond mere happiness. I’m happy when I’m getting a massage, or having my 1st margarita. Joy is happiness for certain, but that’s just he beginning. My senses are enhanced and fully stimulated. I feel light. When I enjoy beauty it’s very similar.
Actually the closer I get to nailing this description the more embarrassing it gets. Perhaps that’s the same for every “real” personal experience. Paragliding is not a “high” per se. When I think of “being high” I think of being dumbed down a little by alcohol or some drug. There’s the euphoric feeling that you get after running for a half hour or so, or Alpine skiing for a week – that’s another high: the kind of high you only realize you have when you do something “normal”. But, this is having your cake and eating it too. You didn’t know you were high in Jackson Hole until you grab the strap back `in the subway. Then you feel it. It’s a beautiful memory. Paragliding is having that other-worldly awareness, but being fully in the moment. You’re in the air, but you’re grounded.
The feeling is not getting any weaker, that’s for sure.
Robin was my instructor today. Funny I’ve never mentioned this guy before. He’s a big dude and when you see him you want to smile. He looks like fun. He’s the main man if you want a tandem at Torrey. I’ve seen him give a hundred flights since I’ve been showing up. My wife loves him because when she went there to buy my harness they diss’ed Bush.
He teaches the way he flies. I’ve seen him scrape lift out of almost nothing, close to the ridge, tight quick turns. I was lucky enough to have his guidance at the lightest time of the day. At one point I thought I’d hit the thing when he was asking me to be a bit closer. I’d say my safe place is 30 feet from the ridge. I know I can get closer, it just doesn’t feel right yet. I’ve seen him tapping the ridge with his wing.
After taking it closer than I’ve ever been to the ridge a few times, perhaps 20 feet, I started sinking – I knew I was headed for the beach. At this point my idea of a perfect beach landing is “close as you can land to the trail.”
Did I mention my Mom was there? This was her first time seeing me paraglide. When I started heading out of sight she was alarmed. She asked Robin where I was. At first he didn’t know who she was talking about.. He said, “Up there somewhere.” Irritated she said, “No! He went down.” As cavalier as giving directions to the loo he said, “Oh him. He went to the beach.” I suppose my Mom could have used some more comfort. The thought that someone would be concerned about “going to the beach” was completely out of his range of thought.
When I got back I asked Robin for some advice. He said that I needed sharper turns, not to go out over the ocean as much.
If I’ve heard anything in learning paragliding it’s not to do anything drastic: don’t over react, don’t pull too hard on the brakes. The reason I’ve been reluctant to turn very hard is I was never sure how hard I could turn without causing a problem.
Second time there was a bit more air it went from a consistent 8 MPH to a little more than 10. It was perfect.
As I approached my first turn I shifted my weight early and then pulled the brakes smooth and harder than ever before. I could feel a downward acceleration initially as I started to pendulum out. That was new, that pendulum feeling. You’re about 30 feet under the wing which is controlling your movement. That’s something I’ve been getting used to in landing, but not up in the air.
Gabe was instructing me now. He said, “Good turn.” Right on! I felt that too.
2 or 3 turns later I was getting some great lift. I was way above the folks on the ridge below, so much so I didn’t need to give way along the ridge. Gabe was instructing half a dozen people. 1 by 1 he started lining them up for landing. “You’re next Kris.” I started approaching the south side for my landing. As I did there was a tandem on the ridge and someone way out there and I could not give way to him without going way over the ocean. I made a decision to go right between them. Gabe said, “Good choice”. Which surprise me a bit. I turned for my final approach and really felt that pendulum effect. Okay, now I’m addicted to that. These are not wingovers mind you, just good turns. It feels good to be in control of the wing 30 feet over my head, get whipped out like that, yet still be in complete control. Gabe guided me in for a button-hook landing. It was perfect.
If being good is keeping a beginner’s mind I want to remember today. It was wonderful. When I just arrived, kiting, I was reviewing all that I knew: mostly just relax. By that second landing I was walking on air, not literally, any more. I didn’t have time for any more flights. Got to get back home to the kids. If I could – when I was a younger man – I would have been up there until I couldn’t see any more. This is one of the most fully rewarding experiences of my life.
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