Take flight at the SM pier
In what is expected to be one of the busiest weekends on the Santa Monica Pier in years, men and women catapulting themselves off the north fishing deck in crude, man-made machines is sure to take center stage.
New and unique to the pier, Flügtag, hosted by Red Bull on Saturday, features fearless amateur pilots attempting to fly human-powered machines as far as they can before plunging into the Pacific Ocean. Event organizers of Flügtag, which means “Flying Day” in Austrian, expect as many as 50,000 people to watch from the beach just north of the pier.
Among the 32 teams selected in Southern California, two are Santa Monica-based, including the Hooters Restaurant, 321 Santa Monica Blvd., and “Duff Blimp,” a group of entertainment industry workers.
Hooters’ flying machine is a chicken wing called “Hot Wing One” and is made with a three-wheeled tricycle covered by styrofoam and shrink wrap. The chicken wing is made of copper tubing, said its builder Scott Leslie. Hooters bartender John Grello designed the machine.
Leslie isn’t too concerned about how far he’ll go — one of the categories judges look at — but just that he lands safely.
“I’m worried about going straight down,” he said. “Anyone who is worried about flying distance should be disqualified because you would need a parachute.”
Since its debut in Austria in 1991, 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 have yet to set any records, the showmanship has been unparalleled.
Teams will fly down a ramp 60 feet long by 30 feet wide, set up on the western edge of the pier that will send the pilots off the north fishing deck before they fly through the air and drop as much as 22 feet into the Pacific Ocean.
“This is the first time we’re doing it in the ocean,” said Red Bull spokeswoman Jessica Mandoki.
Teams consist of five people — one pilot and four who will push the machine down the ramp.
Admission is free, and for those who can’t make it onto the pier, there will be two large screens set up on the beach showing the live action. Gates open at 10 a.m. on Saturday, starting with a live DJ spinning music and the Lakers girls dancing. The Red Bull skydiving team will then take a leap before the event takes off.
Parking is free at 28th Street and Ocean Park Boulevard, where a shuttle will take spectators to the pier. Free valet bike parking will be available near the event.
Flügtag, which takes its first flight at precisely 11:38 a.m. and runs until 4:30 p.m., 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. He said he hopes that Flügtag and Taste of Santa Monica become permanent fixtures at the pier.
“We hope these sorts of activities continue,” he said. “It’s certainly going to be one of the biggest weekends of the year.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 19, 2003. Read the original PDF.