CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — While this sport does not need water, you can still find people doing it at the beach.
It is called powered paragliding and it is one of the most unique sports in the Coastal Bend. While it is challenging and requires many hours of training, experts said the wind here is usually ideal for it.
"When there's good wind, you can just hover in place, it's magical," said Jamesen Layton, a powered paraglider pilot.
Jamesen Layton took his first powered paragliding flight more than a year ago. He started doing tandems with his dad Tyler and said his confidence is higher now as he flies on his own.
"I do pretty much everything with my dad, and it's very cool to be able to fly together, and to be able to talk to each other in the air cause we got a radio setup," Jamesen Layton said.
Jamesen and Tyler took turns flying near J.P. Luby Surf Park. Tyler said he recommends 70-80 hours of kiting practice, spending time building muscle memory and learning correct responses. As the glider moves and your weight shifts, he said you get a feel for it.
"It's very helpful to come and spend that time and develop those skills and senses that you're then able to translate into flying," said Tyler Layton, who taught Jamesen the sport.
Tyler stressed the importance of quick thinking when you are up in the air. He said since everything happens quickly, your responses need to be precise and you always need to look around. He added that the sport is physically demanding.
"The fitter you are, the better you'll do, and some people are in the process of learning to kite while also trying to improve their condition and that's a double struggle," Tyler Layton said.
Tyler and his wife come to Corpus Christi from Salt Lake City, Utah a couple of times a year with students to teach the sport. He said people come from all over the country, including Maine and Florida.
After getting his start with powered paragliding seven years ago, he explained why this is the perfect spot for it.
"I can go over mountains, I can go see canyons, I can go see beautiful areas, and obviously Utah's got amazing landscapes," Tyler Layton said. "But if I just want to be somewhere for the pure joy of flight, this is where I like to be."
Tyler said Jamesen got an earlier start with the sport than he did. He said that allowed his son to advance quickly and gain confidence as a powered paraglider pilot.