www.greatforestparkballoonrace.comAll that Peter Pan and his lost boys needed to fly was to think of a happy thought, and, with a little pixie dust, ground became a choice rather than a constraint. All children need is the will to climb the tallest trees in their yards while closing their eyes and suspending all disbelief to feel the quick rush of air before hearing a thud against the ground. The 70+ ballooners participating in the Great Forest Park Balloon Race this weekend will bring their desire to climb to great heights and, perhaps, some happy thoughts, as their balloons soar through the Forest Park skyline tomorrow afternoon.
The Great Forest Park Balloon Race began back in 1973 with the efforts of six balloon enthusiasts. Since its inception, the race has become a premier event in St. Louis, with over 130,000 spectators in attendance. The Forest Park race is unique to other balloon races in its launching of balloons from the middle of a major city. The event has grown to include much more than just a balloon race. Tonight features the Balloon Glow, where, under the World’s Fair Pavilion in Forest Park, the prospective competitors will inflate their balloons and light up the night as if the Forest Park tree line has been suffused with a massive fleet of psychedelic fireflies. In addition to bright lights and pretty sights, the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra will open its 125th season with a free outdoor performance tonight, and tomorrow afternoon a team of parachuters will perform just before the race begins.
The format of the race consists of a Hare and Hound race. The first balloon-in this race, it is the Energizier Hot “Hare” Balloon-launches with a fifteen-minute head start. Then the hounds, each equipped with a labeled bag, are released in waves to pursue the hare. At some point, the hare lands or chooses a place where X marks the spot, and the ballooner who can land his bag closest to the target wins the race. The winning prize is a name on a plaque, a prize chosen for the safety of the race’s competitors for fear that a money prize might lead some pilots to engage in hazardous behavior in order to win.
Among the pilots flying this year are four of the pilots from the original race: John Marlow, Ted Staley, John Schaumburg and Dan Schettler. These men, sometimes referred to as the ‘Fab Four,’ have been involved in the organization and the spirit of the race for the past 30 years, and Cadenza had a chance to speak with three of them about their experiences.
Ted Staley
How did you get involved with the race?
The four of us started in fall of ’73 by taking a ride in a balloon, and we made the mistake of telling the fella if he knew of one that was available. Sure enough, that spring when it showed up at my doorstep, we put together a group of interested parties, and some of them dropped out, but the four of us kind of stayed together, and we were in the race in ’74. That was the second Forest Park Balloon Race.
Can you describe the race?
This is a ‘hare and hound race,’ where there is a signature balloon of the general sponsor-in our case it’s the Energizer bunny-that takes off first. After a short duration the hound balloons will take off in waves, and they try to get as close to the bunny and land as close to the bunny as possible. Each balloon carries a streamered bag of grass seed with their name on it, which they try to throw as close as they can to the bunny. Sometimes we’ll put an X out.
What is the winning prize?
A plaque, and that is done very specifically. There are a lot of races in the country that are money races. But because this is in the middle of the city, we didn’t think that we wanted people taking unusual chances. So it is more of a spectator race than it is super-aggressive. That’s not to say that people don’t want to win, but it’s just not the same as a million dollars on the line.
Do you personalize your balloon at all?
Most people that own their own balloon have a design of their choice, sewn together in a custom way. Others will carry a banner of their sponsors.
You have been referred to us the ‘Fab Four’ in helping to run this race for so long. Which Beatle would you be?
John Lennon
Do you have any traditions before or after the race?
Traditionally, the four of us, immediately after the pilot meeting, have our picture taken together. And then we argue for years and years about which year a certain picture was taken. It’s pretty funny to see people age over 30 years, so we have a lot of fun with that.
John Schaumburg
How did you get involved with the race?
We were participants about 30 years ago, and the race was held originally in December. It was a terrible time of year because it was mostly cold and windy. And myself and those three other guys and, actually, two other people formed a group. We decided we’d put it on in the fall.
How would you describe the experience of ballooning?
Ballooning is like being a giant walking across the landscape because you move slowly and you just kind of go on, and you’re a couple hundred feet above the ground at the most. It’s very calm. There’s nothing shaky about ballooning. If you weren’t looking down, you’d never know you lifted off.
Do you fly alone or with someone else?
We usually take a passenger or two. We’ve had friends and family go, and we’ve had officials go. It depends on the ride.
How do you choose your balloon?
The balloon I ride is basically the Energizer Number Two. Ours is just a blue balloon because it matches the colors of the Hare Energizer. The group has three other balloons, and we fly them all.
You and the other men in charge of this race have been referred to as the ‘Fab Four.’ Which Beatle would you be?
[A very hearty laugh.] If Ted’s Ringo Starr, then I’m John McCartney. None of us can sing, actually two of us can sing. Actually, nobody can sing. Marlow plays the harmonica. He’s pretty good at it. Ted used to be able to play the guitar. And Dan and I, we can’t even hum a tune.
Ted claims to have taken up the John Lennon spot?
He’s taken up the Lennon spot? Well, I’ll take the McCartney and you can make Marlow Harrison and Schettler can be Ringo Starr.
Ted is the fashion horse of the group. Ask him to show you some of his pants he wore about 20 years ago. It’s the official uniform of 20 years ago. At least it was Ted’s official uniform. It was sort of like the Shriner’s clown outfit.
Do you have any traditions before or after the race?
We always take a picture, right before liftoff, of the four of us. The problem is that when you’ve been doing this for 30 years, you have pictures you wish you didn’t have. And you think, ‘Man, did I have that much hair back then and was I that thin?’
John Marlow
What was your first experience with the race like?
I got involved because the four of us were at the first race. We attended as spectators, and it was in December 32 years ago. There were six balloons and ten people watching. The next year we started flying in the race, and it was kind of falling in disrepair, and we decided that maybe we could help save it. Then in ’77 we took it over. And frankly, the race is-we always tell people, we think it’s taken on a life of it’s own. It’s just this thing that people love so much. The spectators and the attendees created the race. It’s just got a life of its own.
Are you in the race this year? Will you be flying alone?
I am. We usually take passengers, because it’s more fun to have somebody up there. I’ll be taking my partner for many years in the company that I work with.
You and the other men in charge of this race have been referred to as the ‘Fab Four.’ Which Beatle would you be out of the Fab Four?
[Another hearty laugh] I’d be Paul. I’m the poet of the group.
Do you have a motivating theme song that you like to play before you fly?
I used to play the ‘Rocky’ theme in my car on my way to the race. It would always get me pumped up. We normally begin the race with “Up, Up and Away.”
Are hot air balloonists very superstitious? Do you have any special traditions before or after the race?
Oh sure, plenty. I always wear the same pair of racing boots. The four of us never talk about the weather to one another. We never have pictures of storms or clouds in our posters, but we always include one of the original sunvows that we flew in the poster as a sort of ‘Where’s Waldo’ thing.
What keeps you coming back to this race every year?
Every year, right at the end of this whole thing, we stop and take a picture of the four of us. We’ve done it for 30 years. And you can hear us all yelling for each other, like ‘John, Ted, come on, get in the picture.’ This is right before we launch, right after the final meeting. It’s hectic. And one of my feelings is, where did this all come from? I mean, there’s 100,000 people here and there’s all this stuff. Why is it here? Where did it come from? It’s amazing to all of us. We kind of look around, like, look at this thing. And it’s a nice feeling.
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The Balloon Glow takes place tonight, September 17, under the World’s Fair Pavilion from 7-8:30 p.m. The race begins tomorrow, September 18, in the afternoon at 4:30 p.m., with the balloons launching from Art Hill. The event is free of charge. Arrive early for close parking.