Paragliding

If you hear people talking about "soaring along ridges" and "hunting for thermals," don’t be confused. These folks are most likely discussing paragliding, an increasingly popular air sport. Paragliding is huge in Europe," says Jeff Greenbaum, a paragliding instructor and the owner of Air Time San Francisco. Now it is taking off here in the U.S." Not to be confused with parasailing or hang-gliding, paragliding uses a non-rigid, parachute-like canopy, under which the pilot is suspended from a harness in a seated position. The paraglider takes off from hills or mountains and relies on air currents and winds to gain altitude.