Best Made Product Preview: The Sporting-Sail
Best Made Company will be offering an exciting new product known as The Sporting Sail. In anticipation of its launch Sporting-Sail founder Billy Smith takes us up to Torres del Paine, Patagonia on an intrepid wind diving expedition.
Have you ever dreamed of doing anything? Anything at all?… I did and shortly thereafter found myself on an airplane en route to Patagonia-Chile (the world’s end) in search for the best place to “wind-jump” with the Sporting-Sail. Along the way I met Luis “Nacho” Miranda from Puerto Natales. Nacho is an expert climber and naturalist guide with extensive knowledge of wind exploration in the region. We spent a day hiking around Torres del Paine together in search for “high wind zones” to try out the Sporting-Sail’s capabilities for “wind-jumping.” After about 5 hours of climbing and trekking across the vast landscapes, we came across a place now simply referred to as “The Cornices.” Excitement filled the air as we leaned into the wind at a 45 degree angle with our arms wide open…harnessing the energy and maintaining a perfectly still position - like a soaring bird. Stabilizing ourselves with the resistance of the wind elevated our senses and took our imagination to new heights. Feeling alive, I took out the Sporting-Sail from the Sporting-Sack and handed it to Nacho. The headwinds were howling at consistent 60+ knots as Nacho strapped on the Sporting-Sail. He stepped on the slope of the hill, tucked his arms inward towards his chest and like an eagle, spread his wings and jumped! Unbelievable. He hovered in the air for about 2.5 seconds and then softly landed back on his feet about 5 feet from his starting location. With my camera on hand, I was able to document the first successful “wind-jump.” What classifies a “wind-jump” is time of levitation + force of wind + distance of flight + clean landing. Any levitation that exceeds 2 seconds in 50+ knot winds that travels at least 4 feet with a clean landing is considered a successful wind-jump (not to be confused with sky-diving, parachuting, base jumping or birdman wing-suit enthusiasts). - Billy Smith (founder of Sporting-Sails).
