After watching Dean O’Malley set the jetpack world record, we would argue that a jetpack is one of the most intriguing pieces of science-fiction technology out there. The idea that people can now take flight just because of a machine on their back is revolutionary, to say the least.

The fact is, man has been working in recent years toward achieving flight with less and less equipment aiding him. The paramotors in the video above aren’t quite jetpacks, but the guys zooming around on them with the help of a few paraglider-type sails makes us want to get out there and have some paramotor sky racing fun. These racers demonstrate remarkable control and movement in their flight, buzzing through furrows in a field and between large inflatable cones. There is a competition element, but mostly it seems like the racers are just having a blast and showing off the possibilities of their crazy contraptions.

With any luck, paramotor sky racing will become the next American pastime.