The Endless Chain - In The Beginning.. (Part 1/5)

Jasper is North America's only park to allow paraglider travel. Despite this, its remoteness and mystery have caused most pilots to steer away from her vast potential. Over the past couple years, I had become fascinated with Jasper's diverse terrain and last summer, obsessed with the idea of becoming the first person to fly her crown jewel.  The Endless Chain is an unmistakable series of unbroken peaks, stretching along a razor thin, 25 km

The Endless Chain - Press Release

Jan 01, 2019 - Nelson, BC - Last summer, Benjamin Jordan realized his life long dream of flying his paraglider along the entire length of Canada's southern Rocky Mountains.  From Rooseville, Montana to Prince George, BC, the 37-year old, Nelson-based filmmaker flew his wind-powered aircraft across some of BC's and Alberta's most rugged wilderness while having to make strategic landings atop mountain to avoid electrical storms or touc

The Endless Chain - Gear List

Over the past few weeks I have received many emails from people curious to know what gear I carried throughout The Endless Chain vol-biv. Below his a comprehensive list of everything in my kit.  Paragliding  Ozone Alpina 3 Ozone Ozium 2 Harness (foam removed for

Can your Wing Fly Forever?

A paraglider dies after only 400 hours of flying, but what if they could fly forever?  Well, after 14 years, and about 2500 hours of flying, I had retired six un-flyable wings to my closet and it was beginning to be a problem. I was holding onto them for sentimental reasons, unwilling to separate myself from the magical adventures each one of them encompassed. What else could I do?   Years earlier, I had travelled to

XBC : A Dream Come True

I always knew someone would do it. I just never imagined it would be me.  The potential of paragliding over the entire span of Canada's southwest mountain ranges, has been my great dream since moving out here 10 years ago.   And, though there are many other Canadian pilots more worthy of such a task, I discovered that for one reason or another, they all had logical reasons for why it could not be done.   Today, please celebrate

XBC - The Gear List

Over the past few weeks I have received many emails from people curious to know what gear I carried throughout the XBC vol-biv. And while I intend to offer a short review of each item, this will take a bit longer so we'll start with this basic gear list for now.  Paragliding Ozone Alpina 2 Ozone [url=http://www.flyozone.com/paragliders/en/products

XBC Complete - Press Release

September 7, 2016 - Calgary, AB - Paragliding over the entire span of Canada's Southwestern Mountain ranges, this summer, Canadian Paraglider Pilot and Filmmaker, Benjamin Jordan, discovered that 'Impossible' was just a code word for 'Fun!'  From Pacific to Prairie, the 35-yearold filmmaker bounced from glacial peak to high desert to rocky mountains, landing high when possible and near villages to re-stock supplies when needed.  Read more..

Crossing The Line

'WOULD YOU LIKE TO DANCE?' I ASKED.  From that point on, only two outcomes were possible: exhilarating success or epic failure. Except that this was not grade six. This dance was in the sky, and the girl towards whom I hesitatingly shuffled was none other than the Bugaboo Spire herself. This is how a novice like me wound up on the aerial adventure of a lifetime.  I travel around the world in search of places to fly long distances, saf

Home

As we crest the pass in the cool morning breeze, familiar smells fill our noses and air intakes alike. The sweet smell of pine trees and patchouli women remind us of the great, forgotten land from which we once came, British Columbia.  My thoughts drift through corners as Honey Bus' engine chugs along, keeping the beat to which I may lay down the tracks of memory: Two years of non-stop adventure, harmonizing all of the love, upset, success

Elephant Poo and Arrogance

After 'cheese' the first word I learn in any new country is 'yes.' It's a survival thing.  You see, despite my red hair and funny looking face, it is not uncommon for someone to begin speaking to me, in their native tounge, as if I were their neighbour. And though I could find polite ways to stop them, I have found that it requires less effort if I just say 'yes' after each statement, occasionally throwing in a 'No!' for texture.  In

Searching for the Witch Doctor

With our laminated map and canadian accents, we've been running around looking for mountains none has ever heard of, winding up on roads which haven't been used since the British occupation. We got lost in the Rhumpi district of Northern Malawi. Though people were kind, they were still speaking a dialect different than the one we'd learnt in the south.     As we drove towards an exciting ridge on our map, the rough r

The Fisherman saw a Flying Banana

At about 5 km/h, I drifted patiently along the long, low ridge, relishing in the joy of the shouting villagers below. Smelling the sweet lake breeze, I imagined the experience of having spent an entire life in such a remote place only to, one day, look up from my fishing boat to find a giant banana swinging a foreigner to and fro. Just when I thought I knew a thing or two about this tiny country, it surprised me with a curveball I could have neve

Stuck in a Cloud with Americas Best

When I signed up for my first paragliding lesson ten years ago, I felt that I was achieving some unsurmountable height simply by paying the deposit to do something so unbelievable. How then, is it possible that, after spending three days stuck on top of a remote mountain with three of North America's top-ranked paraglider pilots, today could just feel like another day at the office?  Not long ago, Nick Greece, Matt Beechinor and Gavin McClu

The First Malawian XC

I never thought it could happen to me.   As I scoured Google Maps in search of Malawi's highest peak, my objective was to train the first Malawian to paraglide, have him fly from there, and make a film about it. It was an epic 'top-to-bottom' and we all went home satisfied.  Three years later and I have returned to this magical land with a deep hunger, no longer to teach others, but to teach myself. The lesson: Fly fa

In Search of Malawian Gold

It's hard to believe it that it's finally happening. Tomorrow marks the day that our great Malawian Paragliding Expedition begins.  Godfrey, Erica an I have been doing Hike 'n Fly's at Mount Mulanje all week, testing our camping gear and connecting as a team. Come dawn, we will head out into the beautiful unknown to discover all of what this magical country has to offer the world of free flight.  This time, we will b

Growing Alone

Two years ago marked the end of an Era; a large chunk of my life I had completely dedicated to loving and prioritizing the potential of others. And while I was foolishly attached to some fairytale ending of everyone marching into the sunset, hand in hand, I was abruptly awoken from this dream upon realizing that, those I had chosen to stand by, could not stand by me.  And so for the past two years, I have committed myself to exploring the d