KimKim began her paragliding training in the fall of 1995, with her husband Mike. Kim is a USHPA P4-rated paraglider pilot, a retired Advanced Paragliding Instructor, and currently an Observer. She has been a member (and former officer) of the Bay Area Paragliding Association and other hang/paragliding clubs.
Since Kim was never very athletically inclined, she tended to gravitate towards less adventurous activities. She never had an interest in aviation; in fact, she preferred beaches to mountains. Kim was pretty klutzy, and she still manages the occasional trip and fall, but she is proud of her safety record (USHPA Diamond Safe Pilot Award) in the air. Paragliding changed Kim's life (in a good way) by sparking her interest in pursuing other outdoor activities. An true adventure addict, Kim now enjoys camping, hiking, sea kayaking, stand-up paddling, diving, snorkeling, back-country skiing and snowshoeing. |
MikeMike had dreams of flying as far back as he can remember. His first "launches" were from just about anything he could climb up on and his "LZ" was a pile of pillows. Mike ultimately went on to get his private pilot's license and P4 rating. Although he was passionate about paragliding for about ten years, Mike quit paragliding several years ago to pursue backpacking and fly fishing.
We were blissfully clueless before taking our first paragliding flights. Then, we became hopelessly addicted to soaring. We have flown on four continents and have made many lasting friendships along the way. It has been an interesting road and we hope the journey continues for a long, long time. |