Parasailing all began when parachute teacher Piere Lamoigne thought of an ingenious idea: attaching a parachute to an automobile. This idea hit him because it was a way of teaching the use of parachutes to his students. It all begins with the parachute being attached to the car and then the student is then dropped at a certain height. It was then termed parascending. Soon after, Pioneer Parachute Company took the exclusive rights on the name-parasail. Thus parasailing was born.



It was during the 70's that a certain man made parasailing a hit by using parasails at sea. Mark McCulloh was the man behind this. He raised parachutes from the seashores and went on and designed a platform with a motor. After these, McCulloh decided that a boat could heave the parachute to a certain ship (this gave way to the most popular form of modern parasailing known as winchboat parasailing).

As records show, winchboat parasailing (also known as the Parasail Launching and Retrieving Apparatus) had numerous accidents before its complete commercial launch in the 80's. The safety of the parasailor was a major concern before then (with the very first accident happening in 1977 at a certain media event). After major setbacks, parasailing was on its way to being one of the most-loved family sports activity in the world.

Most of parasailing hobbies or competitions are water or air-based. In fact, parasailing began being popular when it was distinguished as a form of sports. Nowadays, there are certain places that hold parasailing contests on land. Finland and Northern Europe are famous in land-based parasailing.

Parasailing is now a famous sport for individuals and families. There are now groups that look at it as a hobby. Still others spice up their vacations by going to beaches or other vacation spots that offer parasailing. The fun and thrill of the ride makes it one of the most unique sports. The military and most commercial operators use parasailing in their training programs for water survival. And beat this, NASA has used McCulloh's idea in their C-38 Crew Rescue Vehicle!

Parasailing has gone a long, long way since its birth in the 60's. However you may look at it, whether it's a type of sports, a hobby, or maybe just a one-time experience, this doesn't change the fact that it is fun and exhilarating. So stop being a chicken and try parasailing soon.