Fighting alone vs. full support
But making personal breakthroughs is by no means Eung's only goal. He hopes that "everybody who wants to fly can find happiness doing so." The prerequisite for this, as he has learned from his experience in international competition, would be to have a well-structured system to support gliding.
He is most impressed by the whole atmosphere abroad--the gliding photos all over the field, the level of the technical terminology enthusiasts use in discussions. There is "electricity" in the air. "It feels like flying even before you take off." Behind foreign competitors are phalanxes of trainers and coaches, advanced technology, and subsidies from national organizations. "Our representatives have to pay for half of everything when they come to a competition. Other guys have specialists to give them massages, but all we've got is medicinal rub. In the end you're so tired you haven't even got the energy to talk about strategy for the next day, so you just have to improvise," says Eung with a wry laugh.
Therefore, "I always take advantage of every opportunity to ask questions, and to analyze techniques with other guys. I try to develop relations with gliding organizations from as many other countries as possible, and even submit stories to foreign sports magazines." It seems the meticulous Eung has every detail covered.
"The more competitions I entered, the more I became obsessed with understanding how they are run. The first year I just learned from photographs. The second year I collected rules and regulations, and the third year began to hoard as many competition handbooks as I could, even if these were not from gliding competitions. I began to participate in full-course events myself in the fourth year. These days I even collect advertisements and posters. My goal is to completely understand how other countries operate. If in the future Taiwan wants to hold an international competition, it will be valuable to have these materials for reference." Every day at competitions he writes down what he has learned. When he looks back, every event is there again before his eyes. He even records such details as whether there are fax facilities and how much everything costs.
Gliding is not yet recognized as an Olympic sport, and it gets little attention in Taiwan; therefore it has been hard to get development on track. Eung took a first step in 1991, when he became director of the Hang Gliding Committee of the ROC Skydiving Association, hoping to set up committees, training systems, and graded skill rankings. But he was unable to put his ideals into practice, and resigned.
Addicted to flight
"I really didn't feel like flying at that point," says Eung in an even tone. But maybe he had been too deeply "infected" by the "flying bug." After a year of "trial separation," Eung one day started sorting out his old gear and memorabilia, and his enthusiasm slowly returned.
In fact, even in his sabbatical Eung could not completely cut himself off from thoughts of flight. His library is crammed with material collected in this "time of healing"--old magazines, information on associations and exchanges, competition scorecards, records of corporate sponsorship, flight conditions, and accident reports.
Although international gliding enthusiasts recognize Saichia, in an aboriginal preserve area, as a top-notch site, its airspace is probably too restricted for international competitions. Moreover, it is not well-managed, allowing all kinds of individuals and groups to use the area for fame or profit, casting a shadow over future development. Thus Eung has been actively looking for a new, alternative site. He has found a mountain in northern Kaohsiung County and is currently laying plans to establish a club so that gliders can have a "home" of their own.
Simon Eung is confident that both he and the realm of flying that surrounds him have a bright future. As he has written in his journal, "In my heart, the golden sunlight that provides the backdrop to flying is unchanging...."
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(photo by Lin Meng-san)
Road Map for Saichia-ParaglidingTravel Information
How to get there: (1) Fly to Hsiaokang Airport in Kaohsiung. Rent a car and head toward Pingtung City. Turn onto County Road 185, toward Yenpu. When you reach Nanhua Village there will be a road sign pointing to "Saichia Park." The drive takes about an hour. Or, (2) take a plane or train to Pingtung. Take the Pingtung Bus Company line to Santimen (the earliest bus leaves Pingtung at 6:45 am, the last return bus leaves Santimen at 7:50 pm). Take a taxi from Santimen to Saichia (it will cost about NT$150). For large groups, buses may be chartered from the Pingtung Bus Company for NT$5,500 per day. Tel: (08) 723-7131.
Food and lodging: There are no accommodations in Saichia Village. Paragliding enthusiasts recommend the Pingshan Villa in nearby Neipu Rural Township. Double rooms cost NT$800 per day. There is a discount for group reservations or for guests saying that they have come for paragliding. Address: #339 Shuimen Village, Neipu Rural Township, Pingtung County. Tel: (08) 799-1803.
Paragliding lessons: The best known paragliding clubs in southern Taiwan are the Firebird, Hunter, and Eagle teams. Each has a training course costing NT$8,000. Make sure your trainer is licensed and qualified before signing on, and that you ask for insurance. For information call: Simon Eung, Firebird Team, at (07) 626-4411; Chien Wan-chuan, Hunter Team, at (08) 755-6323; or Luo Chung-hao, Eagle Team, at (07) 783-8804.
Suggested itinerary: The best time for gliding at Saichia is from October to April or May (the end of spring). It is busiest on holidays. Novices are advised to set aside three or four days. After making arrangements with a trainer, report to the training site in Kaohsiung or Pingtung on Thursday or Friday. After getting the basic skills, show up at Saichia early Sunday morning, before 10:00 am. Because there is no restaurant at the takeoff field (there are only a few vendors), you may want to pick up food and drinks while passing through Pingtung City. If you still have time and energy after paragliding, you may want to visit Santimen, the Taiwan Aboriginal Culture Park in nearby Peiyeh Village (part of Machia Rural Township), or even continue on to Kenting for birdwatching.