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SURF THE PACIFIC A two-hour ferry ride from Horseshoe Bay or PARAGLIDE GROUSE MOUNTAIN First Flight Paragliding offers introductory tandem paragliding flights from the peak of Grouse Mountain in North Vancouver. Designed for absolute beginners, flights are made with a certified instructor. Call the First Flight Paragliding School for reservations and more infor mation at 604-988-1 111. Season begins in May and flights cost C$1 35 Inot including C$16 lift ticket). hour radius MOUNTAIN BIKE AT WHISTLER Renowned ski resort Whistler, an hour and a half northwest of Vancouver on the Sea-to-Sky highway, provides outstanding top-to-bottom mountain biking during the late spring and sum mer. Just take a 15-minute high-speed gondola ride up to the mountain bike park or take a guide with you to the summit- a cool 6,000 feet. Pick up Mountain Biking in BC, a handy and accurate guide that details other trails in the area. For more information call Whistler/Blackcomb guest relations at 604-932-3434. WINDSURF IN HOWE SOUND A favorite spot among local Vancouverite windsurfers is Squamish, at the top of Howe Sound, about 40 minutes from downtown. Excellent winds and uncrowded waters make for some of the best windsurfing conditions in the Pacific Northwest. Call Northshore Ski and Board at 604-987-7245 for rentals and more information. SAIL Spring and fall mean ideal wind conditions for sailing in Vancouver. With Vancouver Island and the open Pacific within a day's trav- el, the options are virtually limitless. Rent or char- ter a sail boat and experience unbelievable sailing throughout Georgia Strait. For charters call Blue Pacific in downtown Vancouver at 604-682-2161. Tswassen will bring you to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. Approximately 2.5 hours northwest by car is Longbeach, Be's premier surf spot. Winter has the best swell action, but spring is a little warmer land who knows what gnarly waves EI Niiio will create). For rentals and further informa tion call Second Wave at 604-986-9283 or West Beach in Vancouver at 604-731-6449. SEA KAYAK NOOTKA SOUND Sea kayaking is becoming big in Vancouver. You can do it year-round, but July and August are best. Most beautiful spot: Nootka Sound. Take the 90- minute ferry to Nanaimo, then drive another three hours northwest. Other top spots: Johnstone Strait and Clayoquot Sound. You can rent kayaks from or go on guided tours with Adventure Fitness, 604-687-1 528. HEll -BOARD If the trailmaps of Whistler and Blackcomb don't offer enough terrain, Mountain Heli-Sports 1888-HELISKI) offers access to other unexplored spots in the Coastal Range. True powder junkies, if finances allow, can sample fresh West Coast powder into the spring months. Elevations can reach 9,000 feet, and daily trips of three runs are available Ithe pack age includes lunch). hour radius