> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# ‘Flying Day’ coming to Santa Monica Pier this fall
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/flying-day-coming-to-santa-monica-pier-this-fall/
- Published: 2003-08-02T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T02:40:03.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Events, Pier, #archive-import

*Wacky ‘Flügtag’ features pilots taking Pacific plunge*

*By PATRICK KINMARTIN Special to the Daily Press*

Although it’s illegal to jump into the Pacific Ocean from the Santa Monica Pier, dozens of people are expected to exactly that this fall.

That’s because Flügtag, an Austrian event that began in 1991, is coming to Santa Monica in September.

Flügtag, which means “Flying Day” in Austrian, features fearless amateur pilots attempting to fly human-powered machines as far as they can before plunging into a body of water, while spectators watch with glee.

Officials are expecting crowds to number in the thousands and the event could possibly be one of the wackier events to come to Santa Monica in quite some time.

“Being the type of event that it is, Flügtag really thrives off its audience,” said Jessica Mandoki, a spokeswoman for Red Bull, the event’s sponsor. “It would not be what it is today if it weren’t for its appeal to everyone.”

The Sept. 20 event is exactly the type of action the pier has been looking for, said Ben Franz-Knight, executive director of the Pier Restoration Corp., which manages the pier.

“It’s zany, it’s whimsical, but it’s something creative that I really think is going to work,” Franz-Knight said. “We’re excited to see what kind of reaction it gets.”

> “It’s zany, it’s whimsical, but it’s something creative that I really think is going to work. We’re excited to see what kind of reaction it gets.” — — BEN FRANZ-KNIGHT Executive director, Pier Restoration Corp

Among the 36 teams selected in Southern California, three are Santa Monica-based, including the Hooters Restaurant located at 321 Santa Monica Blvd. “When I found out we were picked, I was thrilled,” said Vince Lesko, the restaurant’s general manager. “I think it’s not only good exposure for us, but also a chance to get out and do something wild.”

Lesko and five other workers at the restaurant decided to build their launch vehicle in the shape of a large chicken wing and call it “Hot Wing One.” Although they haven’t built it yet, the group is eager to see how far they can go before plunging into the Pacific.

“I’m pretty pumped up,” said Sean Richards, a member of Hot Wing One. “It’s definitely one of the kookiest things I’ve done, but it’s all about having fun.”

Since its debut in Austria, the idea of flying hand-made machines into bodies of water has spread like wildfire. From Ireland to San Francisco, inspired pilots have come out of the woodwork to construct their own outrageous crafts. And while the flights haven’t yet broken any records, the showmanship has been unparalleled.

Red Bull approached the PRC last year when it was looking for a place to host Flügtag in Southern California for the first time.

“We felt it was the perfect place to do this,” Mandoki said. “Santa Monica has always been a city full of creative people and we knew if we brought the event here we wouldn’t be let down.”

The Los Angeles area was one of six sites across the nation that Red Bull scheduled to hold Flügtag.

Flügtag comes to Southern California after a decade of success overseas. Since it was created by Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz, the event has become a fixture across Europe.

Flügtag made its debut in the United States last year when it came to San Francisco and a large audience showed up to watch participants hurtle themselves into the San Francisco Bay.

But it wasn’t until Flügtag appeared in Austin, Tex. on April 26 that Red Bull knew it could thrive in the U.S. As participants launched their flying machines off a massive platform into the Colorado River, more than 45,000 spectators looked on anxiously.

“That was really eye-opening for us,” said Steve Pegram, a Flügtag organizer. “We knew then we had a shot to take this around the nation.”

Red Bull looks at the cleverness of each group’s costumes, vehicle and performance in judging who gets in. Mandoki estimated that more than 100 teams applied to participate in the Santa Monica Flügtag.

Flügtag organizers hope the appeal of the event extends to spectators. Admission is free and for those who can’t make it to the pier, there will be two large screens set up on the beach showing the live action.

Whether or not the event draws as well as it did in Europe or Texas remains to be seen. Franz-Knight said the PRC will control the crowd, including hiring extra security. However, Franz-Knight doesn’t anticipate any major problems and believes the community will receive the event well.

“I’m not sure how difficult it is to be entertained by people in costumes throwing themselves into the water at high speeds,” Franz-Knight said. “We’ll see what happens, but it wouldn’t surprise me if the interest level is high.”

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/080203-03_01.jpg)

A participant in one of the recent Flügtag events tries to fly as far as he can in the event coming soon to the Santa Monica Pier. (Photo: Photo courtesy)

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 2, 2003.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/080203.pdf?ref=smdp.com)