Oct 17th, 2008
SOARing Away
Point-of-the-Mountain Paraglider Above I-15: I wouldn't blame him for pointing and laughing at the motorists below.
Every morning as I ride along Utah’s I-15 towards a new day at SOAR Communications, I see people who are actually soaring. They’re paragliding- at 8:30 in the morning. I wonder, “Shouldn’t they be at work or something?” It wasn’t until I did some digging at the agency that I realized that some of the figures floating in the distance might actually paraglide for a living. The Point of the Mountain Flight Park that I drive by during my commute is only a few miles away from a handful of paragliding schools and the Utah Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (UHGPA). These destinations and businesses are all ironically close to SOAR’s office.
I had no idea that Utah was such a glide-friendly state. The UHGPA website (www.uhgpa.org) indicates that there are nearly 20 different gliding launch points in Utah. Enthusiasts have the opportunity to participate in the association’s Utah Cup, a yearlong cross-country soaring competition. The full-time members of the UHGPA participate in this low-key competition where the only prize is a plaque, peer respect and the satisfaction of flying. The association uses the honor system to verify the pilot’s distance traveled.
I’ll admit that after my web search of “Point of the Mountain paragliding,” I’m tempted to stop my ride to work short so I can soar with the rest of them. Or maybe I’ll start commuting by paraglider, flying as the crow does, instead of driving or busing the curvy highway. In fact- David, Chip- I think a paragliding outing would be a fantastic opportunity for the SOAR staff’s professional development. What do you say?
As an Outdoor Journalist and paraglider pilot, I’d encourage you to try flying. Lots of great tandem pilots out there — contact Mike Steen at Cloud 9 Soaring Center in Draper. BTW: Congrats on getting the OR show as a new client.
AH. You said parasailing, it is paragliding. Parasailing is with boats. But you should look into taking paragliding lessons because it is such a great sport