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TAMPARULI: Come next year, plans are underway to notch up a record for the first paragliding flight from the vicinity of the summit of Mount Kinabalu to the Tip of Borneo, in the northern-most district of Kudat.

Local paragliding company Borneo Air Sport Ozone Adventures is now working with the Sabah Tourism Board to see the attempt by a local in either March or April. The company's instructor, Bruce Patrick Soimil, said the idea came about after a German had hang-glided from Laban Rata at Mount Kinabalu to Masilau in 1985. Only this time, Soimil wants to take it a step further, and set a record for a local, instead.

In an interview Sunday, he said the company had identified a person for the record attempt and that the board's response to the idea was "most welcoming". Meanwhile, the Sabah Malaysian Borneo XC (Cross Country) 2010, the first world-class paragliding event held at Tamparuli, ended Sunday. During the event, weather and wind conditions proved challenging to the participants since last Friday.

Borneo Air Sport Ozone Adventures, together with the Tuaran District Office and Tamparuli Sub-district office, have jointly organised the three-day event at Ruhiang Hill, Tamparuli. It is aimed at boosting the tourism industry there, while promoting paragliding as a sport.

Soimil said more than 40 participants from 11 countries were expected to turn up at the event, but only 20 international paragliders, namely those from Indonesia, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Nepal, China, Korea and India, showed up. "Since this is our first time organising such an event, there are bound to be glitches here and there, but as we go along, the organisation will be smoother," he said, hoping to see more foreign participants next year