TBT: South Side Skyout
I recently came across this footage, filmed with the original GoPro Hero (the first one, before they were HD). I’m flying my aluminum Wills Wing T2, which makes this sometime in the spring or summer of 2009.
A great day at the South Side, thermalling up above the “Blue Balls” radio antennas, and drifting way back almost to the North Side bench! Looks like I wasn’t flying with a vario… and I only vaguely remember the day… no idea how high I was actually getting, but it looks pretty stinkin’ high from a little 300′ gravel pile!
I have mixed feelings watching this video… Having moved back to NY, I miss the hot summer days of hanging at the South Side and soaring the “training hill” playground all day. Looking at the video I see how the mountain looked then, and knowing what it looks like now- how much of it has been destroyed- makes me very sad. I also see some great cu’s popping over the mountains, and can’t help but wonder… on a day where we were thermalling this high at the South Side… did I miss a 17,999 ft day in the mountains? Or could this have been a State-record beating XC day (220 miles)? Whatever it could have been doesn’t really matter… watching this video brings back warm memories of a fun day with great people at one of the best sites in the world.
