Flying High
Red Bull Flugtag
Saturday, Aug. 12
Sawyer Point Park & Yeatman's Cove
12–4 p.m.
Flugtag Judges
Jessica Dimon
Cincinnati Drag Queen
Nick Goepper
3-time Olympic Medalist
Chad Johnson
Former Cincinnati Bengal
Chloe Pavlech
Cincinnati native and Content Creator
Cale Saurage
TikTok Content Creator & DJ
Over-the-Rhine.
Oktoberfest.
Flugtag?
Add another German word to the local vernacular, as the Red Bull Flugtag takes to the skies – and the water – this Saturday.
Named for the German word for “flying day,” Red Bull Flugtag has pushed people’s creativity to the limit for over 30 years. The legendary Red Bull event has been held in more than 50 countries and hosted nine million spectators worldwide. Over the years, Flugtag has seen winning crafts such as Snoop's Dogg House (San Francisco, 2003), Greased Lightning (Portland, Oregon, 2008) and Flight at the Roxbury (Pittsburgh, 2017).
The Cincinnati event is the only Flugtag in America this year. More than 40 teams have been selected to compete, including teams from PFLAG, the Art Academy and Rhinegeist, Thunderdome, and Cincinnati Fear, the city's professional esports team.
“The Fear continues to look for fun, engaging events throughout Cincinnati to be involved in,” said Tim David, general manager of Cincinnati Fear. “We have a great partnership with MSA Design to develop a vision that is equally spooky and amusing: Monsters Under the Bed the Float.”
“MSA Design are great, they've been a blast to work with throughout the whole process,” David continued. “They’ve been key in helping us build out a vision for the float. I can build things in Minecraft, but anything in the real world that I would try would fail miserably and look bad.”
“The goal is to reach flight, so having their expertise and guidance is huge and they’ll be the ones to thank if we can get it off the ground!” said David.
Jeff Provenzano, a long-time Red Bull Air Force member with over 14,000 skydives to his resume. He knows better than anyone the thrill of flight, whether it be swooping from mountaintops or taking the eventual plunge in a homemade Red Bull Flugtag craft.
“It’s an awesome experience to be flying, and I’m excited for everyone participating in the upcoming Red Bull Flugtag Cincinnati,” said Provenzano, who has played roles in past Flugtags including being a judge.
“It takes guts to step off that ledge whether you’re in a wingsuit or in a Flugtag aircraft, but that freeing feeling that only flying can provide makes it all worth it.”
That fancy of flight is part of the appeal to David and Cincinnati Fear team participating in the Flugtag.
“I’m looking forward to just jumping in the river,” David said. “I think it'll be fun. Winning would be a huge bonus for the team and the celebration afterwards with Redbull will be an event.”