With the glow of sunlight creeping over the Sandias, Balloon Fiesta Park was already buzzing as tens of thousands of people watched the first balloons rise and illuminate the morning sky this past Saturday.
The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta has long been known globally as the premiere hot air balloon event for 44 years. Along with the theme “Where Dreams Take Flight,” this year’s fiesta has some new attractions and balloons to watch for.
As per tradition, the fiesta is being held for eight days straight, with each day offering a list of events in addition to the iconic balloons themselves. Longtime favorites like the daily Mass Ascension and “the glows” remain feature events, while laser light shows, musical performances, balloon races, concession stands and firework shows fuel the atmosphere.
After the dawn patrol balloons take off, their sunlit silhouettes the archetypes of traditional balloon designs, over one hundred “Special Shape” balloon crews unfold their strikingly unique balloons.
Long a part of the event itself, there are almost twenty new custom designed balloons, including the “TriBirds,” which is three different birds stuck back-to-back; the “Piranha,” which has a finger hanging out of its cartoon jaws; and the ambitiously large “Pirate Ship.”
Special Shape balloons have been honored at the Fiesta since the premiere of the Special Shape Rodeo in 1989, according to the event website. The rodeo was the first event devoted exclusively to Special Shape hot air balloons.
Balloon Fiesta Event Director Paul Petrehn spoke about what goes into these unique creations during an interview with KRQE News 13. He said these special balloons take significantly more production, time, engineering, fabric and labor to “make a dream become a reality.”
Of the new Special Shape balloons, the majority are well over twice the size of the standard “Rainbow Ryders,” embodying shapes that seem to push all the boundaries of what constitutes a hot air balloon.
“A simple Special Shapes balloon will cost around $50,000 to $100,000, with the more intricate pushing the $200,000-plus barrier,” Petrehn said.
He also said the “Pirate Ship,” which was transported here from England, is claimed to be the largest hot air balloon in existence.
Teams of pilots, technicians, flight coordinators, chase crews and other volunteers handle the massive undertakings of getting these Special Shape balloons airborne and safely packing them up afterwards. Working in conjunction with them are the event “zebras, ” takeoff coordinators dressed in black and white, and other safety and meteorology staff, many of whom have been bringing their balloons for decades.
This year more than 20 countries are represented by the balloon crews.
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Barring any postponements due to weather, hundreds of hot air balloons will be decorating the skies throughout the week, ending on Sunday with a Farewell Mass Ascension and musical performances.
Josh Lane is a freelance reporter and photographer for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @DailyLobo.
