Paragliding, ballooning, and other air sports

Hot air balloons require liquid propane, wind and ... spit

By Jessica Eyre - www.utahadventurer.com

In most circles, Curt Bramble is known as the senate majority leader in the Utah State Legislature. But at 6 a.m. on the Fourth of July in Provo, Bramble is simply "hot air balloonist." After 25 years with about 5,000 hours as a pilot under his belt, Bramble was the lead pilot at America'…

Aug 15, 2009 | 12:10 pm | Loading…

Glide blue yonder

Scott Anderson

Paragliding was always something I felt like I had to do. After checking around, I got in contact with Mike Semanoff from TandemUtah.com to get a paragliding flight set up. Tandem flights are one of the cheapest and quickest ways to get into the sky.

Jul 01, 2009 | 12:00 am | Loading…

Paragliding gets checked off my bucket list

Michele Roberts

When I was 6 years old, my Dad took me on a trip to watch a group of people go paragliding. It was the most wondrous thing I had ever beheld: They were flying. They weren't falling, rocketing, jetting or floating - they were actually purposefully flying from one mountain top to the next a…

Jul 01, 2009 | 12:00 am | Loading…

Go fly a kite ... on skis

Jessica Eyre

Never in my life had I hoped it would be windy. Wind usually is an unwelcome trait of Mother Nature. In almost every scenario, wind causes problems: It blows away picnic supplies, it makes the water choppy, it chaps exposed skin. But I said almost every scenario. On a Monday morn…

Jan 23, 2009 | 12:00 am | Loading…

Let's go ski a kite

Jessica Eyre - Daily Herald

Never in my life had I hoped it would be windy. Wind usually is an unwelcome trait of Mother Nature. In almost every scenario, wind causes problems: It blows away picnic supplies, it makes the water choppy, it chaps exposed skin.

Jan 22, 2009 | 11:00 pm | Loading…

Funseekers.org showing us what snowkiting is all about

Jessica Eyre

For those who can't get enough skiing or snowboarding at the resorts that dot the Wasatch Mountains and beyond in Utah, check out snowkiting. I'm gearing up for a lesson from Eric Gustafson, the director of Fun Seekers. Snowkiting is just another way to sail across the snowy Utah landscap…

Jan 08, 2009 | 12:00 am | Loading…

No better way to get over a fear of heights than skydiving

Sandra Davis

If you had asked me even a month ago if I would jump out of a plane from 13,000 feet at 120 miles per hour, the very idea would have been laughable. I can't even sit in the window seat of an plane without getting nauseous. What possessed me to go along with a skydiving adventure was a wei…

Sep 10, 2008 | 12:00 am | Loading…

Hot air balloons require liquid propane, wind and ... spit

Jessica Eyre

In most circles, Curt Bramble is known as the senate majority leader in the Utah State Legislature. But at 6 a.m. on the Fourth of July in Provo, Bramble is simply "hot air balloonist." After 25 years with about 5,000 hours as a pilot under his belt, Bramble was the lead pilot at America'…

Jul 11, 2008 | 12:00 am | Loading…

Hot air balloons: Simply breathtaking

Michele Roberts

There's something so serene and almost sacred about any activity that takes place even 50 feet above ground. There's an intense silence that accompanies you. Even when you are doing something wild like zooming down a zip line it's almost peaceful. I love it! This is why I was particularly…

Jul 11, 2008 | 12:00 am | Loading…

Hang gliding champion from Springville strives to break record

Craig Dilger

Lisa Verzella stands quietly at the edge of the ridge at Point of the Mountain in Draper, her attention fixed on a windsock on the ridge in front of her. She watches patiently as the wind causes the tall grass below her to sway violently as if it were trying to escape its own roots in the…

Jun 16, 2008 | 12:00 am | Loading…

My day as a pilot

By Brian Jones

Are you one of those people who always look up to the sky at the sound of an airplane flying by? Are you the kind of person who has to have a window seat on your 40-minute flight from Salt Lake to Las Vegas? Are you the person slowing traffic down around Point of the Mountain because you'…

May 25, 2008 | 11:45 am | Loading…

Gliding

Written by Michele Roberts

Bill Wright's eyes will light up the moment you mention paragliding. If you see him preparing to launch off Y Mountain or at the Point of the Mountain, you'll see him spread his arms like wings, close his eyes, smile and feel the wind rush around him.

Feb 16, 2008 | 7:45 pm | Loading…

Fly like an eagle at Ogden's iFLY Utah wind tunnel

Jenn Fox

It's a thought every one of us has had - some more than others, but everyone at least once. I wish I could fly. Some people satisfy that thrill-seeking desire by throwing themselves out of an airplane, with the only thing between them and their maker being a few cords and a large sheet of…

Feb 15, 2008 | 12:00 am | Loading…

Kite Boarding: My version of Superman

Andy Chase

I remember being about 8 years old and thinking that Superman was really cool. Sure, Superman had super strength, super speed and super vision. But my favorite Superman power was to be able to fly. I imagined traveling through the air,the cool atmosphere hitting my face as I defied the la…

Feb 15, 2008 | 12:00 am | Loading…

Soaring to new kites

JESSICA EYRE

Imagine catching air without a half pipe, shooting across a lake without a boat, or reaching the top of a mountain without a snowmobile or a helicopter.