May 7, 2008

For many it is hard to imagine a balloon race. After all, balloons are gently floating vehicles with neither a steering wheel nor
a propulsion system. The only factor under a hot-air balloonist’s control is elevation. It’s not propulsion, but it is certainly movement. As pilots ascend or descend into a sea of wind currents that exist in the atmosphere, the balloon takes on different directions. Every morning during the Great Reno Balloon Race, pilots are briefed about wind speeds and directions at various “ceilings” or elevation measurements. Skilled pilots listen to this information and use it as a navigational tool in getting their balloon to where it should go. Skill is the key to a victory and a piece of the $20,000 prize purse that is shared among the winners of the Hare & Hound and the on field competitions. As you watch the race, observe how the pilots carefully shift their altitude, seeking directional wind currents.

The Hare & Hound Competition: Hunting Balloon-Style
It takes a bit of imagination to understand where this competition gets its name. Modeled after the English sport of freeing a rabbit, giving it a head-start and then unleashing a pack of canines to hunt it down, the balloon sport is a considerably less dire for the hare. Having two bee-shaped balloons act as the hare is wonderfully representative of how different the two similarly named sports are.

In the Great Reno Balloon Race’s Mass Ascension, the hounds are the 100 or so balloons and the hares are “The Little Bees—Joey and Lilly” sponsored by Wells Fargo. The first hare launches before all the other competition balloons. This hare will make its way to an undetermined target area. Approximately 15 minutes later, the second Wells Fargo hare balloon will launch. After landing in a safe area, each hare balloon places a target on the ground for the balloonists to navigate toward. All of the other mass ascension balloons, or hounds, begin the hunt only after each pilot is signaled by the launch officials to begin.

When a hound reaches a target area, the pilot throws a marker as close to the bulls-eye as possible. The closest toss to the center of the target at the end of the day receives the most points for that day. This is the end result of a balloon-style hunt.

The Hare & Hound competition continues in the same manner throughout each day of the event, with pilots accumulating points. After the last day, the pilot with the most accumulative points wins! This is where keen navigational skills come into importance. Wind currents usually change between the time the hares launch and the time the hounds launch. A miscalculation can result in a miss by miles!

The Hare & Hound competition occurs each day of the Balloon Race. Our thanks to Wells Fargo for sponsoring the Hare & Hound competition and the Mass Ascension.

Judge Declared Goal:
This event is new to the Great Reno Balloon Race. The officials (judge) of the Great Reno Balloon Race picks a target based on the prevailing winds and expected winds in the area that will require the pilot to fly their balloon, with the use of navigation skills, to drop a marker or other means of scoring at the specified targets. The target is selected prior to the pilot’s briefing each morning. The target is anything from an “X” to a floating target, or whatever the officials decide each day.

Calculated Rate of Approach Task:
This task brings pilots back to the field in a specified amount of time. Officials will place a target somewhere on the field and pilots will work their way back, racing the clock, to reach the target before the specified amount of time is over.

Maximum/Minimum Distance Double Drop:
While the pilots are flying out for Mass Ascension, two targets will be set up for the Maximum Distance Double Drop and the Minimum. Pilots will return to the field (still in the sky) and attempt to throw a marker at each target. For the Minimum Distance Double Drop, they will want their markers to be as close as possible. For the Maximum Distance Double Drop, they will want their markers to be as far away from each as possible.

Balloon Blackjack Tournament: The Biggest Little City’s Biggest Card Game
Part of the Reno experience is the thrill of winning big on a Megabucks slot machine or on the green felt of a blackjack table. Again this year, we’ve implemented a Balloon Blackjack Tournament to get casino-style action airborne during the event. The prizes awarded last year included complimentary weekends and meals at many of the area’s best casinos.

This tournament is eligible to all pilots and takes place directly after Mass Ascension. Pilots are given two extra beanbags to throw at several giant 4-foot playing cards. The Blackjack competition, played like the real card game, offers additional excitement for the balloonists and pure enjoyment for the spectators.

So, stay around and enjoy one of the Balloon Race’s best features.
It is sure to be a successful event once again this year... you can bet on it.