Flying Into the Mississippi This July: Zambonies, Cheeseburgers, a Giant Axe and More

MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, Minn., June 3 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 400 teams from across the Midwest applied to participate in Red Bull Flugtag Twin Cities this July.  In the end, only 38 teams were selected to build their outrageous, human-powered flying crafts.  The Great Lake states will be well represented with teams from Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan taking part in the competition.  

What will these crafty Midwesterners construct to represent their great states? Cheeseburgers, zambonies, spoons, axes and the Charlie Brown Gang are just some of the fun and quirky crafts taking flight.  Creativity will reign supreme as these teams entertain crowds at Harriet Island Park in St. Paul before leaping off a 25-foot high flight deck, soaring into the sky and ultimately splashing into the cold Mississippi River below.

The Twin Cities selection event was a night like no other. Teams arrived in full costume, on specialty vehicles, with noise-makers, free t-shirts and more. With an abundant response of energy and enthusiasm, it was not an easy ballot to fill out. Even St. Paul Mayor, Chris Coleman, was amazed at the applications and excitement for the event.

"We are so excited to have Red Bull Flugtag come to St. Paul," said St. Paul's Mayor Coleman. "We know it will put St. Paul on a national stage.  After being here tonight and seeing all these creative ideas, I wish I would have submitted an application.  My craft would have been a zambonie... smoothing the 'ice' on the runway."

For all first-time flyers, Red Bull Flugtag, which means "flying day" in German, is a competition that dares both the brave and the brainy to design, build and pilot homemade flying machines off a 30-foot high ramp in hopes of achieving human-powered flight.  But don't be fooled – this is no ordinary flying competition!  While distance is important, creativity and showmanship are necessary to impress the judges.  These criterions have inspired such outrageous crafts as a sky-high Popemobile, an airborne outhouse, a flying fire engine and even a replica of Santa and his sleigh to test their wings at Red Bull Flugtag.  

While the sky may be the limit on creativity, there are still a few flight regulations.  First off, all flying machines must be entirely human-powered (no external energy sources or stored power, so forget about the slingshots, catapults or anything besides your own burliness.)  Second, no matter what they say, size does matter – all crafts must be less than 30 feet wide and must weigh no more than 450lbs (including the pilot).

Red Bull Flugtag is free and open to the public.  For more information, including applications, photos, and video footage from past Red Bull Flugtag events, visit www.redbullflugtagusa.com. For media inquires, contact Jen Belongia at (321) 320-6260 or [email protected].

SOURCE Red Bull Flugtag