Tuesday, August 5, 2008, Red Bull Flugtag's FreeBallin

Here's a series of photos of Team FreeBallin. They finished third, with a super looking flying machine--a huge red Converse high top--and a great skit, complete with tear-off warm-up pants, real red Converse high tops, and old school basketball uniforms. Sorry, I don't have the distance of their flight.























Here's a crowd shot from Red Bull USA--80,000 people came to Flugtag.


HOME HANGAR: Portland, OR
PILOT: Garth Parker
FLIGHT CREW: Shon Boulden, Steve Santoro, Josh Svaren, Scott Underwood

ITINERARY: At the inaugural Red Bull Flugtag Portland in 2004, Shon Boulden, Garth Parker, Steve Santoro, Josh Svaren, and Scott Underwood won the People’s Choice Award by flying a massive mullet (“Hair Force One”) and putting on a skit that transported the crowd back to the glory days of the 1980s. Now, after four long years of competing in nothing more radical than league basketball, they’re Flugging once more, and their ambitions are genuinely lofty. “We’re taking it all this year – not only People’s Choice, but First Place, too,” vows Steve, who is reprising his role as the team’s captain. “Everyone had better watch out!”

Once again this Portland posse is going retro, but this time they’re reaching back even farther, for that pure, irresistible 1970s funk. Their old school basketball-shoe aircraft is under construction at Oregon Blue Print Co. (Scott’s in the printing business), using materials scrounged up at military surplus stores, and the teammates are especially excited about their latest scheme: finding a Blazer girl to teach them choreography. “We’re not just going to fly, we’re going to make the crowd stand and cheer,” declares Garth, who will pilot the Flying Day footwear. “You might as well make room for us on the podium now.”