Flyin’ High
In the mid-1970s, Mark Neumann caused a scene the first time he towed a passenger in a parachute behind his boat. When they arrived back on the shore of Maunalua Bay, they were greeted with ambulances and reporters wanting to know if they were okay. Neumann recalls that everybody thought that there had been a plane crash, and that the man in the parachute had jumped out of the plane.
“I told them it was not a crash, it is a new marine sport called parasailing. Nobody really knew what para-sailing was at that time,” Neumann explains.
He had first seen the contraption while on a surf trip in Mexico and decided to introduce it to the Islands. After that first flight, he founded Hawaiian Parasail—and parasailing has become a popular sport.
Hawaiian Parasail offers six different flights based on the length of the line—300 feet, 600 feet, 800 feet, 1,000 feet or 1,200 feet. The length of the ride and the price vary accordingly. Hawaiian Parasail launches from the Ala Wai Boat Harbor, which is located across from the Hilton Lagoon Beach.
The peaceful ride offers a view of the Waikiki Beach coastline and Diamond Head. Plus, Neumann says that just about anybody can partake in parasailing.
For more information or for reservations, call (808) 591-1280 or visit hawaiianparasail.com.
