Paragliding Lingo

In what sport would you hear the slang terms glass off, speck out, and get flushed? They’re all expressions used in paragliding. Glass-off refers to a smooth, effortless takeoff; to speck out is to go so high that you’re nearly invisible to those on the ground; to get flushed means to lose lift and be forced to make a landing. The United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association offers a glossary of the slang of free flight. As promised, here’s video Martha shot while getting flushed toward the end of her first paragliding flight at the Torrey Pines Gliderport in La Jolla, California. The song is “Fear of Flying,” by Pam Delgado, performed by Blame Sally, and is used with permission. (By the way, we have no idea who Cindy is, but we hope she said yes.) This is part of a complete episode.