Today nearly 70,000 spectators came out to witness tacos fly, fish flounder, and toilets tumble at Red Bull Flugtag Arizona.   Touching down for their second Flugtag victory was team Need for Speed from Fort Collins, CO, who won over the judges and the crowd with their Top Gun-themed skit before soaring 26-feet over the Tempe Town Lake in their very own human-powered “Ghostrider.”  The win came as no surprise to the veteran team, whose Star Wars-inspired craft “X-Wing Glider” won in Red Bull Flugtag Portland in 2004.  Their secret weapon seems to be based on their interpretation of classic films, especially in their live rendition of “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling” that brought the spectators to their feet.

"The memories of Tom Cruise got people nostalgic and they were able to re-live the good old days of Maverick and Goose and Top Gun,” said Need for Speed team captain Sean “Maverick” Serell.  “Plus, we had a better ending than Top Gun – Goose is still with us!"

Coming in at a close second was team Air Farce One from Salt Lake City, Utah, who impressed judges with their Red, White, and Blue paint job that poked fun at current U.S. foreign policy. Rounding out the top three was team El Vuelo del Lobo or “The Flight of the Wolf” from Albuquerque, New Mexico, who wrapped their straight-as-an-arrow craft in faux wolf-skin for an authentic look.  The five University of New Mexico students took home an unprecedented three awards, winning also for Farthest Flight and People’s Choice.  

Teams were judged on three criteria: distance, creativity, and showmanship. But as Red Bull Flugtag judge and world-famous aerobatic pilot, Kirby Chambliss, observed, distance didn’t always have the greatest pull.  “The Need for Speed’s ‘Top Gun’ skit was what we judged them on, not so much the distance,” commented Kirby after the contest.  “We were judging on how much they put into it and the originality of the performance.”

The Dipsomaniacal Devil’s 30-foot tall replica of ASU team mascot “Sparky the Sun Devil” literally towered above the competition.   Perched atop the team’s skyscraper-like craft was their fearless pilot, who balanced suspiciously over 50-feet above the water.  Their craft may not have gone the distance, but their stunt took the title of “Most Creative.”

Icons of pop culture were frequent and rampant in the open-aired “hangar” at Red Bull Flugtag Arizona.  The A-Team, giant Pac Man Ghosts, and 1970s-era Elvises were only a few of the personalities brought to life. The men’s rugby team of Scottsdale, Ariz. kept alive the spirit of New Orleans in a craft they designed called the Mardi Gras Monster.  The Slippery When Wet team of Long Beach, CA celebrated the bikini swimsuit, while another team immortalized the barca lounge chair as the main seat in their aircraft.

Since its debut in 1991 in Vienna, Austria, there have been more than 30 Flugtags held around the globe from Ireland to San Francisco. The first U.S. Flugtag was produced in October 2002 in San Francisco.  Since then Red Bull Flugtag has landed in Austin, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Miami, Portland, Cleveland, and now Tempe.  Red Bull Flugtag will now splash into Baltimore, Md. on October 21, 2006.  Winning prizes include private pilot, skydiving and paragliding lessons or their cash equivalents.

For more information, including team bios, photos, video or to play the Flugtag online game, visit www.redbullflugtagarizona.com.  For free press images, visit www.redbull-photofiles.com. For all media inquiries, including interview requests please contact Nyla Wilkins at (310) 460-5154, nyla.wilkins@us.redbull.com or Maddy Stephens at (323) 866-6027, maddy.stephens@mslpr.com.