Archive for July, 2008

Ben Shillington is going on a bike tour – a very long bike tour. In fact, his mountain bike trip will cover 11,000 kilometres from Istanbul, Turkey to Beijing, China.

His love of adventure has taken him to Europe, Nepal, Australia, across North America and to other corners of the world. This week, it’s taking him to Turkey. He will be leading 16 cyclists (four others will connect with the group for part of the trip) through mountains, deserts and along the seas during the four-month expedition. The group will travel through countries such as Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The trip is one of four offered by Tour d’Afrique.

“It’s a small company that runs multi-day mountain bike expeditions around the world,” says Shillington. “This trip is called the Silk Route and follows one of the ancient silk trade routes.”

The company also offers a Cairo to Cape Town African excursion, a trip from Paris to Istanbul and a South American trip from Rio to Quito. Shillington says people can follow the expeditions online at www.dafrique.com. He learned of the company through a biking magazine. He sent in a resumé, had a telephone interview and a two-hour personal interview; he was hired in April as a tour leader and mechanic.

“This will be the biggest trip that I’ve guided,” he says. “Even though I’m 26, I’m still the youngest on the trip.” Most of the participants are in their mid-thirties.

The cyclists bring their own mountain or touring bike and a helmet. They are also encouraged to bring spare parts, personal effects (prescriptions, first aid), a tent and sleeping bag and layers of clothing appropriate for temperatures ranging from -15C to +35C. They are each allowed only two 90-litre duffle bags on the trip. The cyclists had to apply for several visas and the company helped out with the paperwork. They’ve been told to carry U.S. currency in smaller bills and photocopies of their personal papers.

Usually, the tour will consist of six days riding and one day off for the duration of the trek. Seventy-five per cent of the time, the cyclists will be camping. One of the campsites is next to the Great Wall of China.

A support van carrying food, some camping equipment and other gear, will travel with the group. Every evening, the next day’s route is mapped out and given to the cyclists. In the morning the bikers head out, riding in groups or alone. They all meet up at a marked destination point. Depending on the region, the cyclists could cover 95-160 kilometres daily, but the average is 120 kilometres.

Safety is paramount to the group. “There are lots of hurdles to get across the borders,” Shillington says. “We want to keep the group as safe as we can.” Police escorts have been arranged through some cities.

When he goes on a trek, Shillington says he is pushing his body and his mind.

“It takes you to a different level – it’s a confidence builder,” he says. “I come back with more knowledge and wisdom. You get taken out of your comfort zone, you get your eyes opened. You realize what things in life are important.”

He says he is always ready for another trip. “While I’m on one trip, I’m already planning the next one,” he says. There are still many places in the world he wants to see, but he rates a trip to Antarctic as top on his list. “I’m living my dream,” he says. “And I’m thankful for that every day.”

We at xtremesport4u.com laud this pioneering spirit and wish Ben and his team the very best of luck – let us hope the wind is at his back and he has a successful tour. Further I would like to thank Heather Kendall of Barry’s Bay Weekly for bringing my attention to this story.

a Ben Shillington, who grew up in Barry’s Bay and is an instructor at Algonquin College in Pembroke, is leading a mountain bike expedition from Istanbul in Turkey to Beijing, China.

Cortes Bank (or Cortez as some spell it) became such a fascinating study that I couldn’t resist posting more information on it. I think it’s the ultimate extreme wave – but if you feel there is one out there even more extreme please do let us know!

So how extreme is it? Well, it’s 100 miles from shore for a start so will take you about 4 hours to get there in a nice fast boat, the waves are so big they can be picked up on radar, and although I said the tallest underwater peak came to within 6ft of the surface (according to Wikipedia), surfers themselves say this can be a little as 3ft at times.

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The Cortes Bank picks up swells from every direction. They come in so fast that paddling into one of those huge waves is virtually an impossibility which means you must have a tow-in, so not a cheap wave to surf. But the feeling is that Cortes Bank is the place most likely to produce the 100 footer that the world’s most experienced big wave chargers are waiting for…

And now with thanks to The International Herald Tribune of 9th January and Chris Dixon, read the account of the storms on 5th January which led some of the world’s most extreme and experienced surfers to take up the challenge:

“On January 5th 2008 one of the strongest storms ever recorded in the northern Pacific Ocean pummeled the U.S. West Coast, leading to widespread flooding and state and federal disaster declarations. The storm also left behind some of the most extreme waves ever surfed.

With a second major storm bearing down, four of the most experienced big-wave surfers in the world launched a boat and two Jet Skis toward Cortes Bank, an underwater mountain range whose tallest peak rises 4,000 feet, or 1,220 meters from the ocean floor to within about 4 feet of the surface. The perilous spot, about 100 miles, or 160 kilometers, off the coast of Southern California southwest of Los Angeles, had been surfed only a handful of times in the past decade. With the right conditions, its shallow waters turn huge ocean swells into giant, perfect breaking waves.

“I’ve made some heavy missions out to Cortes Bank,” said Greg Long, one of the surfers who Saturday. “But this time, it was all on the line. The biggest storm. The biggest swell. The biggest buoy readings ever seen. And as far as the risk factor, it was off the charts.”

Long, a 25-year-old Californian, made these comments while watching a video of the experience with the surfers who had joined him: Grant Baker, 34; Brad Gerlach, 41; and Mike Parsons, 42.

They slingshot one another from behind their 140-horsepower Jet Skis onto some of biggest swells ever ridden. They gawked as Parsons froze the screen on an image of an avalanche of water swatting him like a fly.

“We couldn’t go fast enough,” Long said. “The waves were moving so fast that it felt like we were moving backwards.”

Before the first storm passed the Cortes Bank, surfers were stunned that weather-buoy readings showed massive swells that had the potential to become breaking waves of 80 to 100 feet. As they studied the weather maps, Parsons, Long and the surfing forecaster Sean Collins thought there might be a brief period of calm between storms.

“They had this tiny window,” Collins said, adding that if the weather had changed it would have created poor surfing conditions.

The surfers committed to the trip just as the big storm roared to land late Friday. But, Long said, he woke up at 4 a.m. Saturday to calm winds. The surfers converged at dawn on the Dana Point Harbor between San Diego and Los Angeles with the surf photographer Rob Brown and a videographer, Matt Wybenga.

When they left midmorning, the ocean was still so disrupted that they could carry only one of the two Jet Skis aboard Brown’s boat. The surfers, wearing an emergency survival suit, took turns following in the other Jet Ski.

About 50 miles offshore, the weather continued to ease while the deep swells continued to grow. Just past noon the surfers cautiously launched their Jet Skis toward the waves.

“We looked out to the north at these giant mountains of water,” Gerlach said. “And the wind was just perfect. It was creating these giant, giant tubes.”

Over the past seven years, all four surfers have either won or been nominated for Billabong XXL Awards, considered the top honor among the big-wave set. Gerlach, Long and Parsons are considered the most experienced surfers of Cortes Bank. Several waves, they said, far eclipsed anything they had ever seen.

The surfers traded vast, swooping carves and dropped down vertical blue walls 80 feet high or more at perhaps 45 miles an hour – faster than they had ever surfed. They rode cautiously, they said, realizing the consequences of a collision with a 20-pound, lead-weighted surfboard, or a harrowing pummeling beneath the dense foam.

“There was so much water moving, and so much turbulence, that you could have had a worst-case scenario of a guy getting flushed through the white water and you simply might have never found him,” Baker said.

S Baker and Parsons endured horrifying wipeouts, bobbing to the surface thanks to their flotation vests. Then, with Gerlach precariously skiing behind him on his foot-strap-equipped surfboard, Parsons was unable to outrun a giant wave – even with his ski at full throttle. After they were driven under water and tossed around, the surfers and the Jet Ski emerged, sputtering but unscathed.

The surfers waited until it was nearly dark before heading back, barely outrunning the second storm before pulling into the harbor entrance at midnight.

When asked to gauge the size of the waves, Baker pointed to a poster of Parsons that promoted the 2002 surf movie “Billabong Odyssey.” The photo was of a stunning Cortes Bank ride that XXL judges deemed greater than 60 feet high.

“That doesn’t even come close to what we were seeing,” Baker said.

Long added: “It just all came together. Definitely the best surf session of my life.”"

His devastated partner, Amanda Allchurch, was being comforted at home in West Park Avenue, Ashton, Preston, by her son, who has flown back from Afghanistan. RAF communications expert Lee Cartmell, 22, who keeps pilots in contact with their bases in the warzone, jetted back just hours after the accident.

Today, the family paid tribute to the popular dad, who lost his life in an accident in the Langdale area of the Lakes on Sunday. Amanda said her partner of 15 years, known as ‘Cutty’, was a “loving family man”.
She said he had a passion for rock climbing and was with fellow members of the Preston Mountaineering Club, one of who took the final photograph of Steve, when the accident happened.

She said: “He was just a lovely person, always laughing and joking. He was always happiest when he was with his family and we cannot describe how much we are going to miss him. “Rock climbing was his life. He had done the Alps and was always up in the Lakes climbing; he had a real passion for it.” She said his employers at King’s Butchers in Broadway, Fulwood, had been besieged with tributes.

Stepson Lee, who thanked the RAF for their understanding, was home within 13 hours of hearing the news.
He said: “I got the message from my mum and within an hour-and-a-half of me talking to my commanding officer I was on a Hercules heading to Dubai.” From there, I was met by someone who took me from the airbase to the main airport and flew business class to London. It was unbelievable – me in my ragged boots and trackies surrounded by all these businessmen in suits.”

Mr Cutler’s daughter Amy, 17, lives at their home in Preston.

An inquest will open at Preston Coroner’s Court tomorrow. The family has requested any donations be made to Mountain Rescue.

Steve Cutler, who fell to his death shortly after this photo was taken.

Thanks to David Coates of the Lancashire Evening Post who brought this news to my attention.

“Waves are not measured in feet and inches, they are measured in increments of fear” Buzzy Trent

Surfers measure waves from the back so if the biggest wave of the day was 30 feet according to their measurements you will find that to the watchers on the other side of the wave, a surfer could be riding a wave that is sixty feet tall, the height of a six-story building.

AUSTRALIA

CYCLOPS, Western Australia

This is mainland Australia’s heaviest wave. It is rarely surfed by tow-in and surfers tend to favour bodyboards as it breaks onto shallow rocks. It is a righthand wave which breaks on a coral reef. It is hollow, fast and powerful and ranks very highly in the ratings – “totally epic” is how I’ve heard it described!

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SHIPSTERN’S BLUFF, Tasmania

Shipstern’s Bluff is a fast deep water extremely powerful reef break near Tasmania, South Australia which breaks onto huge boulers in freezing waters! It is an amazing wave if you can get there as it’s hard to find and you have about an hour and a half walk-in. Because of this and the cold water, menacing size and sharp reef there is never a crowd there. It is a right hand wave which is best at low tide. The best season is winter and the hazards are rocks and sharks! It is a wave for advanced surfers only.

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UNITED KINGDOM

Cribbar

The wave is named after rocks on the western edge of Towan Head and works when a low spring tide combines with a south-east wind within the Cribbar, a shallow reef off Fistral Beach. With 30-foot waves that are definitely not for the inexperienced, it is more similar to surf off Hawaii than North Cornwall. Surfers are towed by Jet Ski into the monster wave.

Only a few surfers actually dare ride the wave when it appears. According to local legend, three Australians first rode the highly dangerous wave in 1966. Looking more like a suicidal situation, only four surfers were brave enough to surf the Cribbar this year. Among them were three people from the UK and one South African.

The wave is a dream for surfers. Modern technology such as weather track systems and meteorological data allow surfers to make sure they do not miss the opportunity. “It’s a big thing in a surfer’s life. They make sure that they are fit and healthy for this moment so they can’t miss it when it comes,” says Tom Oliver, a spectator from the car park at Fistral Beach.

Local surfer Lee Hallam, 28, says ‘I have watched a few people try and surf it unsuccessfully. I have only recently seen one person who actually surfed it- a travelling South African, big wave surfer Chris Bertish. It is very powerful and if you make a mistake it could have disastrous consequences!’

The Cribbar is for the highly skilled, and otherwise should be left alone.

TAHITI

Teahupoo

The best big wave riders will chase this Antarctic swell which steams towards south west Tahiti and the reef at Teahupoo, home to some of the most spectacular and dangerous waves ever faced by surfers. This wave is generated by open ocean swells hitting the coral atoll reef with Hawaiian type power. It is probably the heaviest wave in the world and it is certainly the thickest. It is a wave that has claimed lives and brought the great Laird Hamilton close to tears after an incredible ride.

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SOUTH AFRICA

Dungeons, Hout Bay

Dungeons combines an offshore rock reef with cold water, white sharks and massive swells which definitely puts it right up there with the world’s other most dangerous waves. Hout Bay, also known as “Dungeons” to the surfing community, is one of the sixteen recognised big wave spots around the globe. The annual Red Bull Big Wave Africa competition is held here. Swells of up to 47 feet have been recorded as well as numerous deaths as a result of shark attacks and surfing related incidents. The spot consists of various reefs. The most popular is called “2.5 “since it is 2.5 m deep. Behind it is “3.5″, which is 3.5 m deep. There is also a reef that is reputed to be able to hold a 100 ft high wave, should one ever come. Before the use of jetskis or charter boat (which is a 20-minute boat trip out) to enter and leave the area, the surfers who braved these waters had to paddle through a dark and deep channel, through to where the waves break.

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FRANCE

Belharra

One doesn’t really expect to find a big wave in Europe, but this one can hold its own with the best of them. Belharra is an outer reef situated 2km outside Saint Jean de Luz in the French Basque region. You need a boat or jetski to go there.

This is a wave for advanced surfers. The wave occurs on a rocky reef and breaks to the right and left. The bottom is coral and sharp rocks. It’s a very hollow, fast and powerful wave of about 50 – 150m length but on a good day can go from 150 – 300m. The swell direction comes from the northwest, west and southwest. Swell size starts at about 3.5m (12ft). In 2003, 2 local tow-in surfers surfed waves of 60ft. The wave only breaks on rare occasions (5 days a year maybe). It comes in on a deep ocean trench and unleashes its power on the reef. The general feeling is that no-one yet knows what size Belharra could go to.

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“Outracing the exploding lip of a breaking wave is like ski-ing in front of an avalanche” says Sean Collins of SurfLine Surf Forecaster.

Since the ancient Hawaiians first slid shoreward on their hand-carved Olo boards, riding the biggest wave of the day has continued to be one of surfing’s most revered accomplishments. But while the professional surfing circuit has blossomed over the last two decades, offering millions of dollars in prize money to agile small-wave performers, there has been no regularly-offered reward given to some of the true heroes of our sport -the BIG WAVE CHARGERS.

Surfer Pete Cabrinha surfin the biggest wave measured at 70 something feet.

NORTH AMERICA

Maverick’s

Maverick’s is a famous big-wave surfing spot off Half Moon Bay south of San Francisco. It is a world-famous surfing location in Northern California. Located approximately one-half mile (0.8 km) from shore in Pillar Point Harbor it is just north of Half Moon Bay at the village of Princeton-By-The-Sea. It occurs after a strong winter storm in the northern Pacific Ocean. Waves can routinely crest at over 25 feet (8m) and top out at over 50 feet (15m). The break is caused by an unusually-shaped underwater rock formation.

Mavericks is a destination for some of the world’s premier big wave surfers. Very few riders become big wave surfers; and of those, only a select few are willing to risk the hazardous conditions at Maverick’s. An invitation-only contest is held there every winter, depending on wave conditions. Thank you to ArtifactProductions for the following video:

Do you know how Maverkick’s got its name? In early March of 1961, three surfers, Alex Matienzo, Jim Thompson, and Dick Knottmeyer, decided to try the distant waves off Pillar Point. With them was a white-haired German Shepherd named Maverick, owned by a roommate of Matienzo. Maverick was used to swimming out with his owner, or with Matienzo, while they were out surfing. The trio left Maverick on shore, but he swam out and caught up with them. Finding the conditions too unsafe for the dog, Matienzo paddled back in and tied Maverick to the car bumper, before rejoining the others. The riders had limited success that day, surfing the tail end of the break and generally deeming the conditions too dangerous, but they decided to name the point after Maverick, who seemed to have gotten the most out of the experience. It became known as “Maverick’s Point”, and later simply “Maverick’s”.

Ghost Tree, Monterey Bay, California

A small crowd gathers on an idyllic knoll to watch Ghost Tree awaken. Bart Keagy

This picture was taken in on March 9th 2005 when Ghost Tree went huge and perfect and very very dangerous. At first light, Ghost Tree saw a 17-foot swell approaching from due west at 20-second intervals. Roughly two hours later, Don Curry, the man who named the wave, and his partner Ed Guzman rolled up on the channel just in time to watch a pair of 30-foot wave faces boom over the spot’s infamous boneyard and into Stillwater Cove. The swells continued growing until they were well over 45ft. Surfers were arriving from all over hoping to ride the wave.

It was first surfed in 2005 and sadly claimed a life in 2007. It is supposed to be scarier than Maverick’s and heavier than Waimea and is one of the most dangerous waves in the world. The height of the wave can reach 70ft with an incredibly long tube.

Nelscott Reef, Oregan

Nelscott Reef creates a reef break (where waves spill over to create whitewater) that is known as the only place on the Oregon Coast with the right conditions for tow-in surfing and it is the only spot to consistently produce double overhead waves, thus the event brings in big name surfers. Before 2003 no one had been able to paddle out in this region due to the shallow water and undertow, but it has now become recognised as one of the worlds premier tow in waves and will easily hold 30ft+ waves.

CORTES BANK, San Diego

Cortez Bank is a 17-mile underwater mountain range which rises to within 6 feet (2 m) of the surface and is marked by a nearby warning buoy. It was named for the clipper ship Stillwell S. Bishop that struck the rock in 1855 (and with a patched hull made it to San Francisco). This place has been known to ocean-going ships and fishermen for years. The waves there signal danger on the underwater rocks and are so big they show up on radar.

This wave is truly in the middle of the ocean. You have to take a 100 mile boat ride out to it. To get the biggest waves at Cortes Bank, you need light winds, low tides, and big storm swells from the northwest all at the same time. When it happened on January 19, 2001, California big wave riders scrambled to test their skill against the biggest, baddest wave ever ridden. These waves move so fast that surfers can’t catch them by paddling, so you need jet skiers to tow with a rope until they are moving fast enough to catch the wave.

This spot is for worldclass surfers only. It is dangerous. The interview with Mike Parson’s below (dubstylee510) will bring to light this awesome wave for you.

MEXICO

The Mexican Pipeline, Puerto Escondido

Mexico is home to two of the most powerful waves on earth. Deep down in southern mainland Mexico at Puerto Escondido is a beach break that surfers have coined “The Mexican Pipeline” (sastheatre) – a comparison to the surf world’s most famous wave, Banzai Pipeline in Hawaii. The surf is seasonal, varying from small to medium in size during the dry season (November to April), and from small to big during the rainy season (beginning in early May). The change of seasons is dramatic, occurring within the space of a week and bringing with it an equally sudden increase in wave size. An added advantage during this time of year is that the evening session is often accompanied by strong offshore winds which can result in world class conditions.

“Killers” at Todos Santos.

1,700 miles north is a reef break called “Killers”, a huge wave which breaks 9-miles off the coast of Ensenada at Isla Todos Santos where waves can reach heights of 70 feet and over. It was the West Coast’s first legitimate big wave, discovered by the Windansea guys back in the ’60s, and unlike other waves with scary names – “widowmaker”, “dead man’s” or “shark pits”, “Killers” lives up to its reputation. It remains a rite of passage for any aspiring big wave charger this side of Oahu. As with most big waves, a number of factors have to intersect to make it all happen: in this case, the reef points directly into the maw of northwest swells, and is flanked by a serious underwater canyon that focuses long period swell energy down the point — often doubling the size of whatever swell’s out there. It’s a powerful and shifty deepwater wave, complete with weird boils and bumps in the face. It is best in the winter, breaks to the right and the best swells come from the Northwest. The bottom is huge rocks and the hazards are rips, rocks, urchins and skis. The other drawback to this wave is that it blows out early most days.

HAWAII

The North Shore of Oahu is world famous. It is the surfing capital of the world. During the winter season, giant swells generated in the north Pacific produce the most consistently spectacular waves in the world. There are a number of popular surf breaks lining the coast. The most famous are the Banzai Pipeline and Waimea Bay. If there is such a thing as a perfect wave, you’ll likely find it on Oahu’s North Shore. The big, glassy winter waves of this legendary surf mecca attract the best surfers in the world. Stretching for more than 7 miles, the beaches of the North Shore host the world’s premier surfing competitions including the Super Bowl of wave-riding, the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing.

BANZAI PIPELINE

From November to February surfers congregate on the North Shore hoping to catch that perfect wave. Winter wave heights can get as high 20 feet, with faces up to 50 feet! This extreme surf is for experts only, and even then conditions are considered highly dangerous. World-renowned surf contests are held here from early November to late December. The Van’s Triple Crown of Surfing, which includes the Reef Hawaiian Pro at Ali’i Beach Park in Hale’iwa; the O’Neill World Cup at Sunset Beach; and the Billabong Pipeline Masters at Ehukai Beach (Banzai Pipeline), brings together the world’s best professional surfers.

The merciless waves of Pipeline break just 50 to 100 yards off the beach over a shallow reef making this one of the most dangerous surf spots in the world.

WAIMEA

Waimea Bay is the birthplace of big wave surfing. The Quiksilver Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational, held at Waimea Bay, takes place each winter.

In winter, Waimea and other North Shore locations such as Pipeline and Sunset Beach host a number of surfing contests because of the large waves found here. These waves are created by winter storms in the North Pacific, and their arrival on O‘ahu’s North Shore are forecast accurately several days in advance. In summer, Waimea is known for it clear and calm water.

The surf break at Waimea Bay was significant in the development of Big wave surfing. Larger surf at the bay went unridden for years until November 7, 1957 when a handful of surfers finally paddled out and rode the giant waves that break off the northern point of the bay. While the surf only breaks big several times a year, Waimea was the most prestigious big wave surf break in the world for decades. With the advent of tow-in surfing, more and more big wave breaks have been discovered that are far superior in quality than Waimea. However, the bay still holds a significant place even in today’s world of big wave surfing.

PEAHI or “JAWS” – Maui

Peahi, otherwise known as ‘Jaws’, breaks over a perfectly shaped triangle reef. The winter swells that pound the Hawaiian shores come all the way from the Alaskan Aleutian island chain in the far north of the Bering sea. Unimpeded by landfall they march across thousands of miles of uninterrupted ocean hitting the Maui reef about a half mile offshore at Peahi at almost 30kms an hour. The force of these swells produce some truly monster waves in the 40-70 foot range.

The ‘Jaws’ surf break has reached its worldwide fame largely due to the frequent filming and photography of tow-in surfing legends performing there on enormous ocean waves breaking at the deep reef off the shore; famed big wave surfers such as tow-in surfing pioneers (also known as “The Strap Crew”-for the rubber straps on their short surfboards to anchor their feet against the forces): Laird Hamilton, Dave Kalama, Darrick Doerner, Buzzy Kerbox, Brett Little, Rush Randle, Mark Angulo, Mike Waltze, Pete Cabrinha, and Brian Keaulana.

Jaws is famous for its qualit (TheBrewmaster). The reef and rocks at Jaws are shaped in a way that magnify incoming swell energy and produce clean and well defined right and left waves with gigantic barreling sections.

Santos del Mar

… And finally a cautionary tale for all wanna-be environmentalists out there:

“Southern Chile’s newest big wave surf site, Santos del Mar, and its surrounding coastline would be polluted if plans go ahead to construct a proposed US$1.3 billion dollar coal-fired power plant on the coastline of Chile’s 7th Region.

Local surfers and residents are concerned about the environmental degradation that would be caused by burning coal at the facility. Arsenic and lead poisoning of adjacent marine waters and agricultural lands are common from coal burning power plants, and the region surrounding Santos del Mar is remote and rural with plentiful fishing grounds and small-scale agriculture. Furthermore, the proposed cooling towers for the electrical generator would use marine waters via an industrial intake mechanism that is responsible for killing millions of fish and marine mammals per year in similar facilities worldwide”.

For more information about the wave at Santos del Mar, the proposed coal plant and opposition can be read at Josh’s blog: http://greensurfing.blogspot.com or www.savethewaves.org

Santos del Mar, Chile : photo courtesy Save The Waves

Break your roots and come fly with us! Lookout Mountain Flight Park, located outside of Chattanooga Tennessee, is hosting the 2008 Women’s Hang Gliding Festival September 25-28.

The Festival is ideal for both pilots and women who are interested in seeing what hang gliding is all about. We want to fly with a bunch of female pilots, create a comfortable and safe environment for inactive pilots to regain their confidence and get current, and introduce the sky to the non-flying women in our lives.

There will be fun flying competitions, clinics, reduced priced training for our non-flying friends and family, prizes, and festivities. Come fly the mountain, aerotow, or get your skills up to speed on the training hills. We want to get as many women in the air as possible, and September is a beautiful time of year to do it.

If you are planning to fly solo or would like to take part in clinics and fun flying tasks, please register at www.hanglide.com. Registration is $25 and includes an event t-shirt (designed by a local artist), mountain solo flying, clinics, and the opening night festivities.

If you would like to learn more about hang gliding by taking lessons or flying tandem with an instructor, please call 1-800-688-5637 to reserve your flight time and to take advantage of reduced priced flights and lessons.

Space is limited for training hill classes and tandem flights, so call soon to be a part of this amazing event. Visit www.hanglide.com for more information on our park, information about your flying options, and to sign up to receive Festival information.

While the Festival is geared towards women who fly and women who are interested in flying, we welcome and encourage all pilots (regardless of gender) to join us for flying, fun and camaraderie.

• Who: Lookout Mountain Flight Park
• What: 2008 Women’s Hang Gliding Festival
• When: September 25-28, 2008
• Where: Just outside of Chattanooga, Tennessee in Rising Fawn, Georgia
• Why: A celebration of women in hang gliding. Mountain flying, aerotowing, and reduced priced training and discovery tandem flights. Spaces are limited, so please call 1-800-688-5637 to set up lessons and flight times.

Contact: Jen Richards, Lookout Mountain Flight Park, 1-800-688-5637, www.hanglide.com, fly@hanglide.com

This is great news, thanks to Chattanoogan.com for bringing this to my attention and girls, for you information, I have included a short video from soapbox94 of what can be expected. This is a buzz the like of which you will not have experienced – go on, give it a go, do something extreme for a change and then just imagine the fun you will have telling all your friends – better still, take them along with you.