Baptism at Sandy's in a Pink Wing

You wanted a story from Bonkers, so … here it is: I woke up this morning and was anxious to fly (paraglide); as I always am. But this day was special; this day represented my 25th solo flight. This meant that it was my “graduation” day – or, the day I was ‘supposed’ to get my P2 rating (well; after I read the book and took the test, that is). Needless to say, this was the flight that would get me to that point. I was excited. But … I failed. No rating for me.

So, it was a great day to fly and pilots were heading to Makapu. Reaper (my instructor) and I joined them around noon. The pilots were launching out of “Crazies” (a steep launch on the side of the highway, right below the power lines; a few hundred feet above the beach – they call it that for a reason). When we arrived at “Crazies”, Sidehill was preparing to launch while JD was next in line, Hillbilly’s grandmother and Brazilian Ray (tandem) after him, and subsequently Hillbilly decided he was going to launch in order to be in the air with his grandmother. I was next.

I put on my gear: boots; long-sleeved t-shirt; communication radio harness and radio; secured the camera to the harness, strapped on the GPS and Vario; gloves; helmet; harness; and put my iPhone in the pocket of my harness. I picked up my risers and walked down the steep hill on launch, while Reaper spread out my wing. I connected the risers to the carabineers on my harness. With brakes in hand, I positioned the A-risers in my right hand, pulled the glider up, turned around, applied a little brake pressure, and I was airborne. I joined several other pilots that were already in the air. Reaper launched after me with a tandem.

Aside from a bit of thermal or “bumpy” air, I was having a good flight. It was a windy day and I was informed to stay in front by several pilots. After nearly an hour of flying, I decided I wanted to gain enough altitude to go out over the ocean to practice asymmetric spirals. I headed back toward the mountain to obtain lift.

I hit the thermal air again and tried to get away from it by going a different direction. Navy Joey asked, “How you doin’, Bon Bon?” I replied, “I’m in some nasty air and I’m trying to get out of it.” I had full speed bar on to attempt to quickly penetrate out over the water when I looked down and noticed I was no longer going forward and the edge of the mountain ridge was getting further and further in front of me.

I quickly got on the radio and said, “I’m on full speed bar and am going backwards, what do I do?” I couldn’t hear Navy Joey’s response and I wanted to hear coaching from my instructor. I got back on the radio and said, “Reaper, can you hear me?!” He said, “Yeah, what’s up?” I said, “I’m on full speed bar and I’m going backwards, what do I do?” He looked up and saw me and said, “Oh, shoots, you gotta turn and burn. You gotta go land at Sandy’s [Beach]!”

Fireman Dave was at a different position in the air and said, “Wait a minute, you may not have to go there quite yet, stay on ‘bar’ and try to get out front.” Reaper agreed and said, “Yeah, go right over ‘Cactus’ (another launch, on the top of the mountain) and you may be able to get back.” I tried for a few seconds and quickly realized it wasn’t working. “I’m still going backwards.” Reaper instructed, “Turn and burn! You gotta go. You’re not coming back. Turn and burn. Go to Sandy’s.”

I was approximately 11-1200’ in the air and turned to head to Sandy’s while Reaper and Fireman Dave were on radio with me. Reaper said, “Be aware of the rotor, you may need to throw [your reserve parachute].” I was a bit nervous at that point because I had been in rotor twice before and it was rough. Rotor basically means that the air is circulating. As I was on the radio and being blown over the back of the mountain, other pilots knew that I would need a ride, so Gin headed toward Sandy’s Beach.

I went over the golf course and found the rotor. It was as though I was going through a washing machine in a paraglider. I announced on the radio, “Shoots…There’s the rotor!!” I held on to the brakes as if they were handles on a rollercoaster ride. I tried to keep steady pressure on both sides. The glider was rocking in every direction and my legs were flailing in the air. I looked around for places to land as I was slowly losing altitude. The glider surged forward, then backwards; left, then right.

I stayed calm and continued looking for the beach, or “Eddie’s Kite Field”. I have [obviously] never flown that direction before and wasn’t sure when I should turn into the wind to land. I made it to Eddie’s Kite Field, then to Sandy’s Beach and was 600 feet up. Since I was still too high to attempt to land (and my lack of experience), I kept flying.

I over-shot the field and beach and got over the water and turned into the wind. I was still 5- or 600 feet high and knew I had gone too far. I put on full speed bar to try to get back to the beach, but it was too late. I was, once again, flying backwards and heading toward the “Blow Hole”. I got on the radio and announced that I was going in the water. Reaper (not knowing my current location) disagreed. “No, you’re not; you’re not going in the water.” “Yes I am!!!” “No, you’re not, just keep flying over Sandy’s and turn into the wind.” “I’m going in the water!” “No you’re not.” About 100 feet up, I said, “I’m in the water.” (I knew he wasn’t getting my point).

Once I learned I had gone too far and couldn’t get back, I was sure I was going to experience my first water landing. Reaper said, “Start getting out of your harness.” Meanwhile, he called the Fire Department and explained that he is a Paragliding Pilot and was currently in the air and a paraglider was going in the water at Sandy’s. (He wanted to make sure the FD knew it was not an inaccurate report, as they get a lot of false calls for paragliders – mostly when tourists see a glider on the side of the mountain preparing to launch, it looks as though someone may have crashed.)

I unhooked one buckle, and then hit the water as my glider fell down in front of me. I was upside down (on my stomach) with the weight of the harness on my back. Luckily, the harness served as a life jacket with an air bag and a piece of foam installed within it. I thought the weight of the harness (which was still connected to the glider) would pull me under. I looked up and saw that I was approximately 50 yards away from the ‘Blow Hole’ and noticed a ton of tourists watching me. I waved my arms and yelled for help so that someone knew I was in danger.

I felt around for the rest of the buckles on my harness so I could break free of it, but I couldn’t find them and soon realized I was becoming entangled in the lines of the paraglider. I felt something tight wrapped around my left arm, then I felt the lines wrapped around my left ankle.

I focused on keeping my head above the water and gave up trying to get out of my harness; since it was keeping me afloat. I looked around and hoped I wouldn’t get any closer to the large rocks. I knew the current was strong (from a previous Sandy’s experience) and didn’t want to be part of a wave that crashes against the rocks. After a few minutes in the water, I looked up and saw a lifeguard swimming towards me. I have never felt so relieved. I knew I would be ok.

I said to him, “Thanks, man.” He asked what happened and if I was ok and handed me a flotation device and told me to hold on to it. He said, “Whew! That was a swim!” I said, “Thank you so much. I’m sorry. I was flying at Makapu and got blown over the back, hit rotor and flew too far over the beach. At least I provided you with some excitement today!” He said, “That’s ok, no worries. A jet ski will be arriving soon.” I said, “Ok.” He then asked if I could get out of my harness. I told him I couldn’t find the buckles to unhook them and I was wrapped around my lines. He said, “I have a knife, we may need to cut the lines.” I said, “No! No! You can’t! These are brand new, $500 lines! I’m ok; we’ll be able to get them untangled.” He agreed.

The jet ski arrived and the lifeguards quickly asked if I was ok. I said, “Yeah, yeah; I’m good. Thank you.” One asked, “Can you get out of your gear?” I said, “I can’t find the buckles, but if I get up on the sled, I can see to unhook them.” I got up on the sled and struggled to unclip them. One lifeguard was helping me get out of my harness; another was trying to untangle the lines wrapped around my ankles. He said, “I can’t get these lines out, can I take off your shoe?” I replied, “Yeah, yeah, go for it!”

As they got me untangled and out of my gear, I said to the lifeguards, “I would rather you take the glider on the sled and leave me here until you drop it off on the beach and you can come back and get me.” A lifeguard replied, “No, no, we can’t do that, you’re safety is more important than your gear.” I said, “I know, I know, but it’s not my stuff and I want to make sure I get it.” They said, “We’ll take you back on the ski and come back and get your gear.” I agreed and lied down on my stomach on the sled as one of the lifeguards straddled me to help me stay on. I held on with one hand and held my shoe in the other.

The lifeguards took me to a beach near the Blow Hole. As I got off the sled I was a few feet away from the beach itself. The surf was intense and the jet ski and sled were getting rocked up and down. With my broken electronics in hand, I began swimming to the beach. The sled got caught in a wave and came down and hit me in the head. A lifeguard said, “Oh, watch your head!” I said, “It’s ok.” (I still had my helmet on). I thanked them once again and they said they would grab my gear, put it on the sled and bring it to me. I told them that would be awesome and I would greatly appreciate it.

After being sucked under a wave and taken by the current, I got up and walked to the beach. I put the electronics on a rock and lied down to catch my breath. Many tourists asked questions and showed concern as to whether or not I was ok. I explained what happened and that I was ok. I took off my helmet and began walking up the rocks. A couple of guys came down from the rocks above and I asked if they saw the lifeguards on a jet ski coming this way [with my glider], they said, “No, I think they went back to Sandy’s, I saw them heading that way.” I said, “No way, they said they would bring my glider to me.”

I quickly climbed up the rocks to see if I could see them. I could see they were trying to load my glider onto the sled. It was extremely heavy as it was filled with water. As I was watching them, I thought about hiking up to the “lookout” to ask the tourists if anyone saw a pink paraglider go into the water – I knew that someone had to have caught it on video… and I wanted it. Then I realized I should wait for them to bring the glider. I heard Gin call my name, I looked up and she said, “Are you ok?” I gave her a ‘thumbs-up’ and yelled, “Yes.” She asked if she should come down and I explained no, I would come up and they are bringing my gear.

I climbed down the rocks to the beach and a few minutes later, I saw the jet ski coming with my glider on the back. I was so appreciative to the lifeguards who not only saved me, but took the extra, unnecessary step to rescue my gear. After we got the glider and harness on the beach, they told me I should move it soon as the tide was coming up. I thanked them again and asked them their names (Donovan and Steve).

Shortly there-after, another lifeguard swam up to the beach. I said, “What are you doing? You had to swim all the way here?!” He said, “Yes.” I asked him his name (David) and thanked him and realized that he was forced to swim to the beach because they put all of my gear on the sled. I asked the lifeguards what kind of beer they liked and explained that I would try to repay them by bringing them beer. They told me they enjoyed Heineken. (After talking story with other pilots, Reaper and I delivered beer to the Fire Station and to the lifeguards.)

As I am glad that no one was hurt or injured (or attacked by sharks), I am disappointed all of the electronics are out of commission, especially my phone and Reaper’s radio, camera, and GPS. I felt horrible that none of the equipment was mine and it was ruined.

A lady on the beach saw me in dripping-wet and sandy boots, jeans, and a long-sleeved t-shirt and asked if I was ok. I was trying to open up the camera to get the SD card out in hopes that it would still work. I told her what happened and I was ok, and then asked if she had dry hands. She said yes and I asked her to help me open the camera. After the lifeguards brought my gear to the beach, Reaper was there to make sure I was ok and to help me carry the heavy gear. I was carrying the wet, heavy harness up the rocks to the top of the lookout at the Blow Hole when a couple asked if I needed help. I accepted the assistance and continued on the hike up.

Once I got to the top, I realized that Navy Joey, Hillbilly, and Fireman Dave came to ensure that I was safe and to see if I needed any help. Reaper grabbed some trash bags out of trash cans to put the wet gear in, Navy Joey helped, and Gin provided some dry clothes and a ride for me. I quickly walked over to the tourists that were taking pictures at the Blow Hole lookout and asked, “Did anybody see a pink paraglider go into the water? One guy replied, “Yeah, there was one down there (as he pointed).” I said, “No, it was me, but I wanted a copy of the video!!” He said, “Oh, no, sorry, I missed it.” Everyone else looked like they had just arrived, so I was unfortunately out of luck in getting a hold of any photos or videos of the event.

Needless to say, this so-called ‘special’ flight was not-so-special anymore, as I knew I wasn’t going to achieve my Pilot’s license. I would like to let all of you know … that would be my last solo flight…

HAHAHAHAHA!!! RIGHT! Like I would let two “over-the-back”, rotory flights; a few gnarly death spirals; and a nasty rotor-landing in my first 25 flights stop me!! I said I would someday be a World Champion Paragliding Pilot, and I meant it!
Mahalo to everyone who helped me with my first water landing experience. I really do appreciate your help and support. The Fire Department and lifeguards were quick to respond and the Paragliding Pilot crowd truly is a wonderful group of people to be a part of. Thank you.

So. . . what’s next for Bonkers?