Comment
Rate
Share
Captain del Lago: Flying people for a living
 |
| Parasailing at Lake of the Ozarks is an affordable, adrenaline-filled experience. Photo: J.B. Simpson/LakeExpo.com |
By Ra’Vae Edwards/ravaeedwards@yahoo.com
LAKE OF THE OZARKS, Mo. - Chase Hussey has plenty of lake stories to tell - but he won’t.
“I could recall some, but I can’t tell you,” Hussey joked. “After all, what happens at the Lake of the Ozarks stays at the Lake of the Ozarks.”
Hussey has captained the lake for the past nine years while working at Paradise Parasail on Bagnell Dam Boulevard.
From a Chihuahua to a Playboy Bunny, Hussey has flown hundreds of tourists and locals over the water. Regardless of the passenger, Hussey describes each trip the same.
“It’s like flying a kite with people in it,” Hussey said. “They all say it feels like they are flying. A lot of people say it really is an adrenaline rush.”
The windier the day, the better the ride.
“I think a lot of the thrill is because they are afraid of heights,” Hussey said. “That is probably where the adrenaline rush comes in.”
So, what exactly is parasailing?
According to Hussey, the process begins with outfitting the customer with a harness, similar to a repelling harness but not as tight.
Once that is complete, the parasail is inflated and the attached to the customer.
“Then we let ‘em go,” he said. “They are attached to a winch that we send out about 600 feet. Once they are in the air, we fly them around, dip them into the water a couple of times and then back into the air.”
After about 30 minutes, Hussey said the winch is used to reel the customer back in where they safely land on the deck of the boat.
“When they are in the air, they are flying at about 21 to 25 miles per hour,” Hussey said. “The windier the day the better. The more wind we have, the less work the boat actually has to do.”
For Hussey, parasailing is more than a job - it’s his career of choice, at least for the time being.
“I mentored under Ric Smith who had been parasailing for more than 27 years,” Hussey said.
Smith and his wife owned and operated Paradise Parasailing for 26 years.
Smith lost a battle with Leukemia in 2008, but the business he built and the fun it brings continues.
If you’re interested in giving parasailing a whirl, contact Hussey at Paradise Parasailing at 573-365-6757. For additional information, visit the Web site at www.paradiseparasailing.com.
Subscribe To Lake Alerts“I could recall some, but I can’t tell you,” Hussey joked. “After all, what happens at the Lake of the Ozarks stays at the Lake of the Ozarks.”
Hussey has captained the lake for the past nine years while working at Paradise Parasail on Bagnell Dam Boulevard.
From a Chihuahua to a Playboy Bunny, Hussey has flown hundreds of tourists and locals over the water. Regardless of the passenger, Hussey describes each trip the same.
“It’s like flying a kite with people in it,” Hussey said. “They all say it feels like they are flying. A lot of people say it really is an adrenaline rush.”
The windier the day, the better the ride.
“I think a lot of the thrill is because they are afraid of heights,” Hussey said. “That is probably where the adrenaline rush comes in.”
So, what exactly is parasailing?
According to Hussey, the process begins with outfitting the customer with a harness, similar to a repelling harness but not as tight.
Once that is complete, the parasail is inflated and the attached to the customer.
“Then we let ‘em go,” he said. “They are attached to a winch that we send out about 600 feet. Once they are in the air, we fly them around, dip them into the water a couple of times and then back into the air.”
After about 30 minutes, Hussey said the winch is used to reel the customer back in where they safely land on the deck of the boat.
“When they are in the air, they are flying at about 21 to 25 miles per hour,” Hussey said. “The windier the day the better. The more wind we have, the less work the boat actually has to do.”
For Hussey, parasailing is more than a job - it’s his career of choice, at least for the time being.
“I mentored under Ric Smith who had been parasailing for more than 27 years,” Hussey said.
Smith and his wife owned and operated Paradise Parasailing for 26 years.
Smith lost a battle with Leukemia in 2008, but the business he built and the fun it brings continues.
If you’re interested in giving parasailing a whirl, contact Hussey at Paradise Parasailing at 573-365-6757. For additional information, visit the Web site at www.paradiseparasailing.com.
Share this Article
 |
||
| Water Patrol arrests 25 for BWI over holiday weekend; mute about future sobriety checkpoints |
Article Rating
Reader Comments
Submit a Comment
We encourage your feedback and dialog, all comments will be reviewed by our Web staff before appearing on the Web site.
