http://ozreport.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=19309&start=37

So let's take a recent decision by the board, and go through the
logic. The topic is speed wings; these little-bitty paragliders flown down the
sides of mountains, as you've seen in YouTube videos. The question was whether
USHPA should provide 'support' for such wings, in the form of insurance,
training/rating and so on. The arguments are summarized briefly in my own words,
as I see them.

- They're essentially small paragliders, though there are construction detail
differences. From a layman's perspective they all look "the same" even though we
know they're not. We have USHPA members flying them today, and most of the
dealers are USHPA instructors. Our insurance says that we cover "hang gliding
and paragliding" and does not further define what those terms mean. We have no
clear way to distinguish a "speed wing" from a "small paraglider".

I first saw one of these small paragliders two seasons ago at
Stanwell Tops, a highly regulated site. The winds were light and the paraglider
pilot just flew it down. This season I saw another one (or two) flying there and
they were soaring the face of the hill.

Check out Mark's comments. If you disagree, provide a better argument.