John Bowers
John Bowers
 on 07/27/2021

On June 29th history was made at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (JHMR) when the first tandem adaptive paragliding flight launched from Rendezvous Mountain. Paragliding has a long history at JHMR with thousands of flights taking off from the top of the Bridger Gondola and the Aerial Tram but never before has a tandem adaptive flight launched from JHMR’s steep mountainside. Led, by Joe Stone, who works with Teton Adaptive, whose mission was to bring paragliding to Jackson Hole and let adaptive people experience the sport and smiles. 

In 2018 HBO Real Sports discovered Project Airtime, a Utah-based adaptive paragliding outfit founded by one-time extreme sportsman Chris Santacroce, who himself overcame a temporary paralysis after a near-fatal stunt. Over the years, Santacroce has recruited countless disabled athletes from around the country. One of those recruits, Joe, has now brought this mission to Jackson, WY, where he’s established a Project Airtime outpost to spread the paragliding gospel and give others like him the chance to experience the sport. Watch the event unfold on HBO Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel which premieres today, July 27th. 

Learn more about the adaptive paragliding program here at JHMR with a Q&A from the Director of Mission, Joe Stone: 

First, tell us a little bit about yourself and how you came to Jackson.

My Name is Joe Stone. I’ve been chasing smiles in the outdoors for most of my life. In 2010 I crashed speed flying which rendered me a c7 quadriplegic. Over the past decade I have been continuously working to get myself back into the outdoors and also working to create more inclusion along the way so others with disabilities can have the same opportunities. Since 2013 I have been partnering with Teton Adaptive to help bring more inclusion for people with disabilities to the Wydaho Rendezvous Mountain Bike Festival. This festival has turned into the largest adaptive mountain bike gathering in the world. Over the years our partnership has also grown a lot which turned into a full time position with Teton Adaptive so we can join forces to bring more inclusion to Jackson and beyond. I’ve been here about a year now and couldn’t be more stoked with how things are going and how supportive this community is. 

Joe Stone from Teton Adaptive Sports after a ride in the JH Bike Park.

You work at Teton Adaptive as Director of Mission. What is Teton Adaptive for those that do not know about the organization and what is your role? 

Our mission is to promote, support, yand develop outdoor sports and recreation opportunities for people with disabilities living in and visiting the Greater Teton Area. 

What most people don’t realize is we don’t focus on in-house programming. We work to help the already existing outdoor recreation companies to also be able to support people with disabilities. What this does is open up opportunities for an entire family or group of friends who happen to have a person with a disability in the mix to all be able to recreate together. It’s a model of true inclusion. 

We do this by offering the proper training, equipment and scholarships for locals. Some of our partners are Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, JH Paragliding, and Rendezvous River Sports. That’s just a few out of about 10 of our partners. 

 

How did you get involved with paragliding? 

My paragliding career started with speed flying. After my spinal cord injury, I dabbled in a lot of different activities but nothing really grabbed me like speed flying did. After about 4 years post injury, Chris Santacroce (founder of Project Airtime) reached out to me and said in a text, “I dig what you are doing. Just so you know, we are here for you if you ever want to get back in the air”. Shortly after I drove down to Salt Lake and started to learn how to fly with the wheels. The rest is history. 

 

Can you describe the first time you flew as an adaptive pilot? (What was it like and what feelings did you have?)

To my surprise, paragliding came back pretty naturally. Only now it takes a lot of teamwork which I love. When I first took flight solo, I looked around and saw everyone doing the same thing I was. We were all pulling strings with our hands. That was the first moment since my injury where I felt completely included and on the same level as all my able-bodied friends. The only thing separating us was skill. It was simply a magical moment to take in. 

Rendezvous Mountain has a long history of paragliding but there was always resistance to adaptive flying. How did that change?

Scott Harris and I met a while back at the Point of the Mountain in Draper, Utah. He saw me flying and watched Chris take someone tandem with the flying chair. That started our friendship. Fast forward a year and I moved to Jackson and started flying off the resort. We all recognized that the wheels are a total go so that later sparked the conversation about getting adaptive tandems going through JH Paragliding. One conversation led to another and the partnership was formed between JH Paragliding, Teton Adaptive, and Project Airtime. Long story short I think people need to see it to believe it’s possible and that’s what got the ball rolling. 

What was it like to watch the first adaptive tandem flight on Rendezvous Mountain?

A lot of time, energy, fundraising, training and conversations happened to get us to the point of that first adaptive tandem. Watching Richard assist Teresa on the first flight brought tears to my eyes. Not so much because she was the first but because now the opportunity exists. Paragliding at JHMR is now truly inclusive. It was a moment to reflect and be present at the same time. The future for adaptive paragliding was looking pretty awesome on that day. Huge shout out to Richard, Scott and the entire JH Paragliding team for helping make this possible.

How do moments and events like adaptive paragliding help people with disabilities?

There is a certain energy that is experienced when you do something like paragliding. People with disabilities seem to really harness that energy and do something great with it. I’ve seen many people with disabilities put in the work to become healthier, happier, and more productive in their lives after going paragliding for the first time. I think it’s safe to say that it’s similar for sport in general. People learn a lot about themselves when they push through perceived limitations. The beauty in that is it’s for everyone to grab onto not just people without disabilities. That’s why building more inclusion is so important to us. Plus we all need a solid moment for a good smile from time to time. 

HBO is airing the first tandem adaptive flight on Rendezvous Mountain and you were instrumental in making the flight happen and invited HBO to cover the event. How does it feel to be a part of the history of paragliding at JHMR?  

It’s a great feeling but I have to recognize that I’m not going to be around forever to make sure these opportunities stick around. There is totally a pause button to hit to make sure I’m taking it all in but my goals for this stretch far beyond a one time event. Eventually this will be handed off to someone else and I want to make sure the foundation is in place so this doesn’t go anywhere. History is nothing more than the past. What I’m most excited for is the future of adaptive sports and the inclusion that will come with it. 

How can people learn more about Teton Adaptive and how can they get involved? 

Go to tetonadaptivesports.com to learn more. You can also give us a call or stop by the office for a high five. But what we need the most is helping with funding. We work really hard to help our community and other businesses to be more inclusive. That can’t happen with financial support. It’s the part of my job I dislike talking about the most but without Teton Adaptive being properly funded, our whole community loses the inclusion game. With that said, I want to thank everyone who has supported Teton Adaptive over the last 15 years, who continues to support us and any who will in the future. People with disabilities and their circles wouldn’t have the opportunities we have today without you. Thank you. 🙏