Flugtag in Austin

[geshaw30]

As Tone mentioned in the "Upcoming Events" we will be heading up to Austin on 8/24 and 8/25 to cheer my eldest son and his Flugtag team:

The Chupacabra Iditarod Sled Team
www.redbullflugtagusa.com/Texas2007/teams.aspx (and click the name link)
as they launch into the murky bat guano waters that make up Town Lake. For those of you who aren't well versed in exactly what Red Bull's national sponsored tourney is here is another link to brighten your day a little bit:
www.io.com/house/flugtag4.html
He and his team of idiots were lucky enough to be offered an entry into the event as hundreds of other "I wanna crash into the lake" entries were turned away. A film crew has already been down here to document the building effort as Jeremiah puts together his flying PVC pipe sled.

We will be leaving here around noon on Friday for the trek northwest. As a matter of record Cary & I will be headquartered out at the Hyatt on Town Lake both days. Give Tone a hollar, follow our pilgrimage up there, or leave message for me at the hotel if you have a desire to attend. Dinner on Friday or lunch on Saturday with a group of folks would be great. I think the wife would like to take the "bat boat" float on Friday night (nightly event in Austin of watching 1.5 million bats fly out from under the bridge....wear a hat) as she missed it the last time I went to visit. That boat ride alone is worth the trip as it is an amazing spectacle .

I have put in an appeal to the team to strap a Hot Wheels VX to the sled's front as matter of national record, video posterity, and mostly as a cheezy hood ornament. Not sure I'm gonna be granted that request though as he mentioned something about "disruption of aerodynamic flow".

I've been to the Flugtag in Miami a few years back. It's a hoot

[tom4bren]

Dang. I'll miss it by a week. I'll be in Austin on business next week.

Guess I'll just have to console myself by eating a big juicy steak instead.

[VX crazy]

Dang. I'll miss it by a week. I'll be in Austin on business next week.

Guess I'll just have to console myself by eating a big juicy steak instead.

Do we need to have a mini austin dinner meet for ya??

[tom4bren]

Probably won't work out. They have me scheduled for 14 hour days whilst I'm there. I'll have to come back to work for a vacation after that.

Next trip I'll schedule a free evening. We can even see how far off road a rental car can go if you'll be so kind as to tow me back to the hotel!!!

[VX crazy]

Probably won't work out. They have me scheduled for 14 hour days whilst I'm there. I'll have to come back to work for a vacation after that.

Next trip I'll schedule a free evening. We can even see how far off road a rental car can go if you'll be so kind as to tow me back to the hotel!!!

Oh that sounds fun! Gotta love rental cars!

[tom4bren]

Yeah, I've only totaled 2 rentals so far. It's about time for another.

[Dumke]

So are there still plans? My brother is wanting to go for his birthday and I mentioned some vx'rs may go he said cool. I have that weekend free. Are there dinner/lunch or whatever plans?



Also do you know when your son will be going? Or is it like heats/brackets and last till sunday?

[geshaw30]

Dumke- The deal is a "one flight for distance only" as the bulk the the flying machines die a horrible death once they hit the drink so it will be over Saturday night. I'm not sure what time the Chupacabra Iditarod Sled Team goes off the ramp but I know the deal starts in the late afternoon/early evening.

I spoke with Tone and the inital plans haven't changed much from my original post. Cary & I plan on arriving in Austin mid afternoon, on Friday, at the Hyatt on Town Lake. I think we'll meet up with the local crew at the Hyatt around 5 and grab dinner (that mexican place we ate at in the hotel the last time I was there was pretty tasty) then do the bat boat run if time and crowds permit. If the event is the same as in Miami the "contestants" will be setting up in the park that Friday night. It's a lot of fun looking at the entries up close, with various cocktails in hand, so I think we'll meet up with my son then and "browse".

Saturday during the day is still up in the air but I'd kinda like to go check out Julian's rides that are stacked up in his garage if we can get an invite . I think we'll go grab lunch on the local's folks recommendations before the event. I suspect the crowd for the actual deal will be huge so I plan on getting down "lake side" about 4ish to see Jeremiah's sled team and make one last plea to glue a Hot Wheels VX to the sled or glider frame. If you want to meet up with us somewhere in "all the above" my cell is 281-924-3007. Call me and I'll let you know where we are. The central meeting point for both days will be the Hyatt.

Here is the Red Bull press release on Jeremiah's team entry:
****************************
Pilot: Jeremiah Shaw
Hometown: Houston, TX

Jeremiah Shaw has a unique strategy for capturing the crowd’s attention at Red Bull Flugtag Texas. “Creativity, showmanship, and threats of rampant blood drainage,” he says with a matter-of-fact shrug. “The chupacabra thing is just plain awesome.” You see, Shaw seems to have a mild obsession with the hypothetical species that supposedly sucks the blood of goats. (He once fronted the name “Houston Chupacabras” for the city’s soccer team but got only 7 percent of the vote.) Fortunately, the pals joining in Shaw’s Flugtag effort – Dixie Dismukes, Danny Hall, Luis Mesen, and Bryan Osborne – share his vision, and thus a chupacabra entry was born.

But that ain’t all. Joining urban legend with sports legend, the teammates have incorporated an “Iditarod sled” as their aircraft. A chupacabra will be the musher of a sled pulled by – you guessed it – a team of goats. It’s not the first time this group has pulled off something silly; all of the “goats” have known each other since their days at Texas A&M. Shaw can’t wait for his next chance to get crazy, declaring, “Strap me to a flying toboggan and dress me up like a giant Mexican goat-sucker, and it’s on like Donkey Kong!”

[The Chupacabra Iditarod Sled team consists of pilot Jeremiah J. Shaw and flight crew Dixie Dismukes, Danny Hall, Luis Mesen and Bryan Osborne. The team is headquartered in Houston, TX.]

[Dumke]

LOL that is awesome. Well are the other vxers going out to lunch or something?


I will probably leave fort worth area saturday morning if we plan on lunch. I guess just wondering if you all are planing lunch what time i need be down there. Also want to see the sleds up close and such. This will be mine and bro's 1st event so woudl liek to see what goes into a sled.


Anyways I guess any info like that would be cool if not or dont have any set lunch plans with tone and whom ever else vx wise then will call see where everyone is when we get to austin.

[geshaw30]

Look forward to seeing you then. Plan on Saturday lunch around 1pm. Gimme a call when you get into town.

[VX crazy]

There is a good mexican resturant that was the Real World Austin house, they turned it into a restruant after the show ended! It is down by the Hyatt! OR if you want to try barbeque.....I say we can decide at the time what everyone feels like! Because there are so many great roads here, and views. Anyone hear from Julian? Also if we can coordinate with Julian to see his rides, we could grab a cocktail at my house which is a little more north of Julians, but a pretty drive.....and 'slight' offroading if we want!

[geshaw30]

VX crazy- The one at 301 San Jacinto (Rio Grande Mexican restaurant)? If that's the place then you're right--it's 2 blocks from the hotel across the bridge. I say your suggestion is a winner. Let's plan late dinner there on Friday night after the bat boat ride.

I haven't heard from Julian yet.

[Dumke]

lunch/dinner dinner/lunch. I will call when otw but dont know austin all that well. If you all are meeting som where for lunch I guess i may need directions as I was going to try and plan it out b4 i got there. But will call when i get close. see you all there.

[VX crazy]

Dumke are you coming down friday or saturday? Austin really seems like your kind of place! Message me and I can send you my # since I dont know how well George knows his way around Austin.......

[geshaw30]

George knows Austin as well as his friends and his Garmin get him around .