Paraglider + awesome pilot + aerialist + good weather = Circus in the sky!
I don't know how many more of my favourite things I can cram into one project! There's flying, a Sea Shepherd paraglider, circus and now, a fundraiser for two of my long time favourite organisations; Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and Paw Justice.
I don't know how many more of my favourite things I can cram into one project! There's flying, a Sea Shepherd paraglider, circus and now, a fundraiser for two of my long time favourite organisations; Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and Paw Justice.
Ever since I started learning circus aerials in Christchurch a few years ago, I've wanted to combine it with my previous passion, skydiving (or just being in the air in general). Over the years I've thought of how to go about taking circus aerials high into the sky and soon came to the conclusion skydiving wasn't going to be the way to do it. Also aerial silks, which I have practiced the most, wasn't going to be the best apparatus to do it with (too windy).
So last year I ordered an aerial hoop from the UK. Along with acquiring more bruises I've ever had in my entire life, I have slowly been putting together a routine that would be possible to do in the air with a harness and safety lines attached. Next there was the minor (major!) issue of finding something/someone to hang off. Luckily I seem to be surrounded by people who love this sort of thing and it wasn't hard to find someone willing to pilot a paraglider for me to hang off. Not only that, the paraglider has a massive Sea Shepherd logo on it which, if you know me, you will know how happy I am about that. Georges, the pilot, also happens to be one of the best I know and has done all sorts of impressive things with his glider (base jump off a glider anyone?!).
Now the time has come to put it all together and hopefully create a piece of circus high in the sky above beautiful New Zealand. This isn't an entirely new concept. A couple got together in France and performed a trapeze act below a paraglider at a height of around 2000 ft. If you haven't seen the amazing video they made, check it out here - it will blow you away. Also, the official Guinness World Record for highest trapeze act currently sits at 2171 ft which happens to be held, in part, by another good friend of mine, Chuck Berry.
So last year I ordered an aerial hoop from the UK. Along with acquiring more bruises I've ever had in my entire life, I have slowly been putting together a routine that would be possible to do in the air with a harness and safety lines attached. Next there was the minor (major!) issue of finding something/someone to hang off. Luckily I seem to be surrounded by people who love this sort of thing and it wasn't hard to find someone willing to pilot a paraglider for me to hang off. Not only that, the paraglider has a massive Sea Shepherd logo on it which, if you know me, you will know how happy I am about that. Georges, the pilot, also happens to be one of the best I know and has done all sorts of impressive things with his glider (base jump off a glider anyone?!).
Now the time has come to put it all together and hopefully create a piece of circus high in the sky above beautiful New Zealand. This isn't an entirely new concept. A couple got together in France and performed a trapeze act below a paraglider at a height of around 2000 ft. If you haven't seen the amazing video they made, check it out here - it will blow you away. Also, the official Guinness World Record for highest trapeze act currently sits at 2171 ft which happens to be held, in part, by another good friend of mine, Chuck Berry.
THE GOAL
As far as I know, this will be the first time anyone has performed an aerial hoop act beneath a paraglider and all going well, will also be the highest circus aerial performance.
What's more important than being the highest, is the opportunity to raise some well deserved funds for two very important and effective organisations; Paw Justice and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Scroll down for more information on these organisations.
PLEASE click the link below to donate money towards my goal (you don't need to be in NZ to donate).
As far as I know, this will be the first time anyone has performed an aerial hoop act beneath a paraglider and all going well, will also be the highest circus aerial performance.
What's more important than being the highest, is the opportunity to raise some well deserved funds for two very important and effective organisations; Paw Justice and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Scroll down for more information on these organisations.
PLEASE click the link below to donate money towards my goal (you don't need to be in NZ to donate).
If you are a dog lover, this is an organisation well worth supporting. Paw Justice has zero tolerance for animal abuse. It is dedicated to ensuring animal abuse, neglect and suffering is reduced and/or eradicated through raising public awareness, action, education and advocacy. They often offer rewards for information leading to the arrest of people who mistreat animals and have also bought New Zealand's attention to the horrific underground sport of dog fighting. Most of the country would have never known about dog fighting until Paw Justice bought it out into the open. Your pet may never see the inside cage of a dog fight as it may not be the breed sought after and used for dog fighting, but consider all the family pets that get stolen and used as bait dogs, given to fighting dogs to practice on. This has been the unfortunate reality of many family pets and Paw Justice are top notch at letting us know about any suspicious activity in any are of New Zealand.
I have personally been volunteering for Sea Shepherd for the past five years or so. They run completely on donations and their ships are staffed by the most committed unpaid volunteers I have ever met. Most well known for their effective protection of whales in Antarctica, Sea Shepherd's mission is to end the destruction of habitat and slaughter of wildlife in the world's oceans in order to conserve and protect ecosystems and species. They use innovative direct-action tactics to investigate, document, and take action when necessary to expose and confront illegal activities on the high seas. By safeguarding the biodiversity of our delicately balanced ocean ecosystems, Sea Shepherd works to ensure their survival for future generations. And it's not just whales that they save either, they work all over the globe and have campaigns to protect tuna, dolphins, seals, sea lions, sharks and reefs!
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