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Ketut Tegeh is a busy man. The native of Kutuh, South Badung, spends most of his day under a blistering sun helping foreign visitors who want to paraglide down Timbis Hill.

In one instance, he rushes to aid a paraglider who has difficulties opening the wings of its aircraft. The next moment, he guides another pilot to the best spot on the hill to launch from.

Tegeh, however, is not a seasoned paraglider. He cannot even use a paraglider. In fact, he claims to be afraid to fly and no amount of encouragement from the pilots can change his mind.

Tegeh is a porter in Timbis, a prime spot for the recreational sport of paragliding. Today, several paragliding operators use Timbis as their base of operations.

“Paragliding has turned this arid hill into a famous spot that provides jobs for locals,” Tegeh said, adding that the money wasn’t much, but the work was enjoyable.

Another local profiting from paragliding is I Ketut Manda, who is a trained paraglider. He now trains novice paragliders and is the lead pilot on tandem flights.

“I learned the required skills mostly from other experts,” he said, adding that he was a certified pilot.

The sport has not only brought jobs to the men in Kutuh, but also to the women. Housewives run refreshment stands around the base of the hill.

In the afternoon, the hill bustles with activity as visitors make their way to the top and prepare their gear. Before the first paraglider takes off, the women selling snacks and drinks assume a new role. They present offerings of flowers, leaves, incense and a slice of cake on a stone perched in the ocean.

“We seek blessing from nature so all pilots return to base safely,” an elderly woman said.