The truth is that there have only been 2 people to thermal out of
Jockey's Ridge which is around 100 ft high.
Once by Jim Johns who got to almost 1000 ft and
twice by Bo Hagewood who was able to get high enough
to fly out over the back of the park!

Have a great Spring flying season and see
everyone at the Spectacular May 16-19, 2003

I felt bad that you didn't see any real photos
so here is a link to our Hang Gliding Spectacular Photo Gallery
with over 200 cool pics!

Let us know what you think about our story
Thanks to everyone for signing our guestbook!

Sign my Guestbook with comments about our story

Read what others have written about this story

Comments: hgspectacular@yahoo.com
 

What others have written in the guestbook:

Name: Tony Moore
E-mail address: tony.moore@philips.com
Comments: great blag, you got me good! I should have realised that anything with Bo's name in it would be suspect!
Monday, April 7th 2003 - 01:39:11 AM
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Name: Bill Cummings
E-mail address: billterry@cybermesa.com
Homepage URL: http://www.riograndesoaring.org/
Comments: Just a little way into the story I thought this might be an April fools so I backed up and looked for the date and saw (what was it now?) 23 or March? Then I went ahead and read the story thinking this just might be legitimate. Before I knew it I was hooked!! until the third picture (which is the first one I tried to enlarge). I was leery at first but three quarters of the way through--------You had Me.
Sunday, April 6th 2003 - 10:21:50 PM
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Name: Kevin Koonce (dude)
E-mail address: kevinmkoonce@yahoo.com
Comments: Ok....well... the first thing I thought when I heard a beginning student thermaled out of the ridge I was like BASTARD I want to do that. I proceeded to read for a bit and immediately was highly suspicous of the whole thing. I was beginning to seriously question dougs instructor common sence when it said newbie launching of top of dune in the presence of a dust devil. BUt when I saw the picture if dude climbing outta the tree I was like WOA wait a sec NO GLIDER IN TREE!! At that point I saw april fools and began to consider myself a moron for even possibly thinking that maybe a newb DID thermal outta jockeys ridge. IF Rodney DID thermal out of the ridge then he would neeed to join the military or something cuz they need people with balls the size of Manhattan.
Thursday, April 3rd 2003 - 11:25:12 AM
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Name: Chris I
E-mail address: cingoldsby@earthlink.net
Comments: I'm still laughing... you totally got me! Well done!
Wednesday, April 2nd 2003 - 07:04:20 PM
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Name: Tove........ (Grant)
Comments: Hey dude i can't get the pictures to work
Wednesday, April 2nd 2003 - 05:57:19 PM
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Name: Alan Bond
E-mail address: skybond@primus.com.au
Comments: Great work,quite well told, though i did read with a little bit of scepticism. sucked me in though as i wanted a better look at the photo which showed people a little closer than indicated in the story. nice touch with the photographers name
Wednesday, April 2nd 2003 - 04:45:31 PM
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Name: Pat Immordino
E-mail address: patimmordino@juno.com
Comments: Doug,
Great Story. Any former instructor will definetly buy it , having seen the crazy episodes that play out at J. R. Students going into the south bowl from the spine was always my greatest fear as a KHK instructor. Thanks for the entertainment. Sorry about the multiple listing, my computer kept submitting before I was ready.
Pat
Wednesday, April 2nd 2003 - 12:57:52 PM
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Name: Richard Hays
Homepage URL: http://mshg.com
Comments: Got me. Damn. Only one thing I can say; "bite me". LOL.
Wednesday, April 2nd 2003 - 10:19:57 AM
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Name: Tito Pont
E-mail address: titopr@hotmail.com
Comments: Sometimes I can't believe why anyone spends their time doing some things that take so much work and seem to be totally wasted time. It takes all kinds is the only answer!
Wednesday, April 2nd 2003 - 08:22:30 AM
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Name: John Bilsky
E-mail address: udaleaf@nep.net
Comments: DOGBREATH! Lars Lopifo INDEED! That will teach me to cut anagram class. Nice job one day late. :-)
Wednesday, April 2nd 2003 - 05:59:07 AM
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Name: Reto Schaerli
E-mail address: reto_s@yahoo.com
Comments: Fantastic! You got me there! Thanks for the adventure and giggles!
Tuesday, April 1st 2003 - 10:16:14 PM
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Name: Terry Ryan
E-mail address: flydown@idirect.ca
Homepage URL: http://www3.sympatico.ca/compwr/family/hgliding.htm
Comments: Bugger.

Tuesday, April 1st 2003 - 08:54:55 PM
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Name: Ken Howells
E-mail address: ken@willswing.com
Homepage URL: http://www.willswing.com
Comments: Got me! Of course, he had the right glider for such a feat...
Tuesday, April 1st 2003 - 06:12:36 PM
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Name: Mark Kowalsky
E-mail address: lawffice@bellnet.ca
Comments: BASTARDS!!!!! You got me good.
Tuesday, April 1st 2003 - 05:56:40 PM
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Name: helen
Comments: LOL, what a beauty!
Tuesday, April 1st 2003 - 04:46:34 PM
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Name: Geoff
Comments: Doug-

If it makes you feel any better, I completely fell for your story....
if you get a chance, let me know how everything's
going at the beach. Take care, Geoff

Tuesday, April 1st 2003 - 02:14:22 PM
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Name: willswingguy
E-mail address: willswingguy@yahoo.com
Comments: You really had me on that on. I was excited to hear it but the story is just too good.
Tuesday, April 1st 2003 - 10:00:37 AM
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Name: Brent Harsh
Comments: Doug,
That's one of the best April Fool stories I've ever heard! Congrats -
awesome writing! It is just barely believable (partly because I think
every pilot secretly *wants* to believe that such a thing were
possible,
and because we've all met that totally gung-ho newbie out on the dune
or in
the tow line). And for some reason I forgot that today was April 1!
So it
wasn't until I got down to the "visiting German tourist" that I was
starting to catch on...

That made my day...
--
Cary, North Carolina, USA


Tuesday, April 1st 2003 - 09:33:10 AM
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Name: Judy Rodgers
Comments: So where's the pictures? Who the hell is Lars Lopifo anyway? Is this an April fools joke? Ha ha! I used to go to Nags Head as a young girl in the 70's I took a lesson at Kitty Hawks Kites with some guy with long hair and goofy glasses. I always wanted to try hand gliding up high in the sky. Maybe I'll come down there this year and take a tandem. It's amazing Kitty Hawks Kites is still there.
Monday, March 31st 2003 - 11:15:07 PM
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Name: Bob Williams
Comments: You got me! Ok, ok, Im a Fool! That was a pretty fun story. I really wanted to believe it. I flew at Jockey's Ridge back in 1977. We were flying the south bowl and I got some strong lift so I did what everyone else did. I pulled in and landed. LOL! Ha Ha! Im to old to climb that ridge but hope everyone has a fun time at the Spectacular.
Monday, March 31st 2003 - 09:06:41 PM
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Name: Dave
Comments: You guys are nuts! You really had me going until I clicked the picks. Great story!
Monday, March 31st 2003 - 08:06:03 PM