Flugtag Texas-style

Austin, Texas – August 29, 2007 – Fish tacos, a baby stroller, a pirate ship and a shamrock, all soaring through the air. People in Austin, Texas weren’t seeing the impossible this weekend. That’s because anything is possible at Red Bull Flugtag. More than 85,000 spectators, the largest U.S. Red Bull Flugtag audience to date, swarmed Austin’s Auditorium Shores as 28 teams launched their homemade flying machines off a 30-foot ramp above Lady Bird Lake in hopes of human-powered flight. Teams had to impress the crowd and judges with not only flight distance, but also their creativity and showmanship. And they also had to abide by some rules — their flying machines had to be entirely human-powered, be less than 30-feet wide, and weigh no more than 450 pounds, including the pilot. Although teams came as far away as Minnesota, Austin, Texas teams took all the podium spots, as well as the People’s Choice Award. Grand prize went to Skate and Destroy, with its crew performing tricks off the 30-foot flight deck before their giant skateboard, made mostly of foam, soared into the air and then splashed into the water below. They received a pilot’s training course for their win. The event marked the first North American nighttime Red Bull Flugtag, which means “flying day” in German. It was the second time Austin has hosted the flying competition, however. If you missed competition, you can still see the action. Click here to see the Austin American-Statesman video coverage. Want to try Flugtag yourself? Before you go and build your flying machine, you may want to try the Flugtag video game. The first Red Bull Flugtag was held in Vienna in 1991. Since then, more than 40 Red Bull Flugtags have been held around the world. …And the Winners Are • Grand Prize: Skate and Destroy • Second Place: Superman’s “Crip”tonite • Third Prize: Billy Ocean’s Flying Fish Taco • People’s Choice: Congress Bridge Bats		Red Bull Flugtag winners “Skate and Destroy” make their best attempt to fly during last weekend’s event held in Austin, Texas. Photo credit: (c)Justin Kosman/Red Bull Photofiles Third place went to “Billy Ocean’s Flying Fish Taco.” Photo credit: (c)Justin Kosman/Red Bull Photofiles
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