VAGAMON: ‘Tandem Flying’ finally took off as the sun broke through for a major part of the day at the Kerala Paragliding Grand Prix-2009 at Kolahalamedu here on Thursday.
Twenty-five of the fans enjoyed the exhilarating experience of being suspended in mid-air in the company of stalwart pilots among the picturesque hills.
"The response from the public was tremendous with people gathering on the adjacent hill tops," said Gopakumar Varma, chairman of the Adventure Sports and Sustainable Tourism Academy (ASSTA), the organisers of the event in association with the Kerala Tourism Department and the Destination Management Council, Vagamon.
More than 60 pilots flew into the sky presenting a soothing sight for those, included enthusiasts from around the country, gathered atop the meadows. "The take off and landing area was cordoned off with as many as 35 pilots in the sky at a time," said Gopakumar.
Former world para gliding champion David Arufat of Switzerland, the world record holder for the highest altitude Brad Sanders of the United States and India's national paragliding champion Gurpreet Dhindsa took tandems providing a birds’ eye view of the Vagamon Hills and the valley below to those who dared to take the plunge down the slope.
World Acrobatics Champions Michel Verhagen and Shane Tims from New Zealand regaled the crowd with their stunts on the glider.
Meanwhile, New Zealander Bruce Mills, one of the pioneering pilots in the sport in India, inspected the landing area five miles into the valley for the ‘Spot Landing’ competition for beginners scheduled for Saturday.
Weather permitting, on Friday, the competitive section gets underway with the experienced geared up to exhibit their wares in the cross country event.
“David Arufat, Brad Sanders and Gurpreet Dhindsa would be the men to beat,” said Gopakumar, who himself is a licensed glider pilot.