It was just before eight o’clock in the morning when my mobile phone rang. A bright and most of all awake voice was on the other side of the line. “Are you up???!!!”, the man asked. I scratched my head. “Come on! We are ready to fly!!!” And that’s when it struck me. Flying. I was going to paraglide from Signal Hill today. And this bright voice was going to take me. “Meet me on the top of Signal Hill in about forty minutes.” I ran to the shower and got ready as quick as possible. Adrenaline is my thing, and South Africa is the perfect spot for this insane hobby. Bungee jumping, abseiling, downhill mountainbiking, cliff jumping and skydiving; I did it all. Now it’s time to try something new.

By Gert-Jaap Hoekman

Stef Juncker is actually Belgian, but he lived in South Africa all his life, so I trust him on this. But he does look a bit like Jackass’ Steve-O. And that’s frightening. Especially when you hear this guy’s half paraglider half entertainer. You can see him and his hypnotising show every year at the Grahamstown Arts Festival. “But I promise I wont do my act up there.” And he smiles.

“When once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you will long to return.” No it’s not Stef showing his more intelligent side, it’s a quote from Leonardo da Vinci, printed on the back of the Para-Pax business card.

Men aren’t supposed to fly, we’re simply not build for that, I know that. But Da Vinci is absolutely right when he said you’re hooked once you’ve been up there. For me that started two years ago when I jumped from an aeroplane. That particularly feeling I had in the sky never went away, and luckily South Africa offers more similar thrills. Depending on the weather Para-Pax jumps from either Devil’s Peak, Lion’s Head or –in my case- Signal Hill.

Stef has set up everything and it’s time to fly. He’s got an ear-to-ear smile on his face. “Today is a beautiful day, you’re going to have a lovely time up there.”

Paragliding is not difficult at all, (basically) everybody can do it. Stef gets in me in a suit, that’s hooked up to his own. Stef’s the one with the canopy on his back. Similar to one you would have on your back while skydiving. “When I say run, you run as fast and as long as you can”, Stef says. I look in front of me and I just bushes. Bushes with torns that is. “Nevermind them”, Stef tries to reassure me. “You just run over those bushes.”

“RUN!!” Just for a split second I feel like Foster Gump, and I just run as fast as I can, a full grown Belgian paraglider on my back. And indeed, we are going up. Wind gets in the canopy, and it’s pulling us up. Before I know it Cape Town is far below me. We cruise over Sea Point, check out the nice houses, wave at some friends and relax. This moment is magic. It’s quite up there you know, and you get an excellent view over the city. My feet almost touch the lights of Green Point Stadium when we descent.

All good things have to end at some time. And when you’re on the ground you can only agree with Leonardo da Vinci again: once you’ve been in the sky, you only want to go back!