Female paragliders from around the US rally in Draper for world record attempt


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DRAPER — There's a very good reason that regular drivers of I-15 through the Draper/Lehi area are used to seeing the brightly colored canopies of paragliders floating far above the valley just east of the freeway.

Because it's one of the best places in the country to make like Daedalus and fly without mechanical intervention, albeit with wings of nylon in lieu of the wax and feathers that proved to be the demise of poor Icarus.

And that's why local paragliding expert Milly Wallace organized an event this Memorial Day Weekend at Point of the Mountain's North Flight Park focused on celebrating women who fly and, she hopes, earning a new entry in the Guinness Book of World Records for most women simultaneously paragliding in one location.

On Saturday morning, dozens of paragliders from around the country met for some warm-up flying ahead of the record attempt on Sunday. Wallace, who teaches paragliding and has been flying for over eight years, said the flight park just south of Draper had evolved dramatically since she engaged the sport.

"When I first started, you'd come here on a really great night for flying and there'd be a handful of cars in the lot," Wallace said. "Now, even in so-so conditions, this place will be packed."

Cheryl Morgan learned to paraglide at Point of the Mountain in 2014, traveling from her home in Vass, North Carolina, to take a two-week intensive course to earn her first solo flight. She was all smiles on Saturday as she unloaded gear from her rental car.

"I immediately bought my airline ticket after seeing Milly's posting on Facebook for the event this weekend," Morgan said. "This is just awesome."

Morgan said she had been skydiving for two decades when her husband, an accomplished paraglider, convinced her to give launching from the ground, instead of jumping out of a plane, a try.

CJ Brockway, from Seattle, kites her parachute during a gathering for women from around the United States at the Point of the Mountain in Draper on Saturday, May 27, 2017. The group hopes to set a Guinness world record of the most women kiting consecutively on Sunday. (Photo: Nicole Boliaux, Deseret News)
CJ Brockway, from Seattle, kites her parachute during a gathering for women from around the United States at the Point of the Mountain in Draper on Saturday, May 27, 2017. The group hopes to set a Guinness world record of the most women kiting consecutively on Sunday. (Photo: Nicole Boliaux, Deseret News)

"I think my skydiving experience helped, but I wouldn't say it was an easy transition," Morgan said. "Learning how to do it is overwhelming and incredibly fun all at the same time.

"There's so much to learn and keep track of. Knowing the aerodynamics, how to fly the canopy, how to fly yourself ... it's a lot."

But, Morgan said, the rush and freedom of leaving the ground without the aid of a powered vehicle made her a devotee and she tries to visit Utah at least once a year. She also flies in other spots across the country and in Europe, where the sport has a larger following and more developed flight parks, she said.

Kimberly Phinney is a full-time professional paraglider, having ridden thermals across the globe working at Paragliding World Cup events and teaching the sport in her hometown of Bend, Oregon. She said that early on, paragliding was dominated by men but, over the past decade or so, more and more women were taking flight.


This is about bringing a great group of ladies from all over the country together to do what we love. The record will be cool, but we're just going to have a great weekend of flying and having a lot of fun.

–Milly Wallace, paragliding expert


"There was a time when even finding the right size equipment was a challenge because they simply weren't making things to fit the smaller frames of women," Phinney said. "It's probably still mostly men, but we have a much bigger presence."

Phinney, who owns and operates the White Owl Paragliding school in Bend, said Point of the Mountain, along with the Torrey Pines Gliderport in La Jolla, California, are probably the top two spots in the country for paragliding, thanks to wind and weather patterns that are both fairly constant and flying-friendly.

"There really is just incredible flying here at Point of the Mountain," Phinney said. "The predictability here makes it unique ... and the gentle conditions make it a great place no matter what your skill level."

Phinney's love of elevated adventures runs the gamut. Besides paragliding, she's a licensed pilot and accomplished mountain climber.

Tonia Fox, of San Francisco, runs towards a launching off point during a gathering for women from around the United States at the Point of the Mountain in Draper on Saturday, May 27, 2017. (Photo: Nicole Boliaux, Deseret News)
Tonia Fox, of San Francisco, runs towards a launching off point during a gathering for women from around the United States at the Point of the Mountain in Draper on Saturday, May 27, 2017. (Photo: Nicole Boliaux, Deseret News)

Love of adventure was a vibe running throughout the group of women on Saturday, even though the wind conditions never got to optimum. Wallace said the forecast for Sunday was looking great.

As for establishing a record, the Guinness people told Wallace the category is currently unoccupied, so a new record was essentially guaranteed on Sunday. She had received bout three dozen responses online. The event, she said, is really just a good excuse to hold a rally for women with a passion for paragliding.

"This is about bringing a great group of ladies from all over the country together to do what we love," Wallace said. "The record will be cool, but we're just going to have a great weekend of flying and having a lot of fun."

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