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The Great Reno Balloon Races are full of hot air |
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Written by Alex Close/Tahoe World
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Thursday, 07 September 2006 |
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 As the burners just above your head thunder on, the heat burns your head and the basket gently lifts off the ground. Floating off the ground, you are at the mercy of the winds, which are surprisingly fickle and can swirl around depending on altitude.
Sometimes, pilots are forced to land in neighborhoods, back fields, parking lots or other random open spaces. Maybe it is that spontaneous, go-with-the-flow feeling, maybe it is the act of effortlessly floating high above everything, but something makes hot air ballooning absolutely spectacular.
Despite the act, watching dozens of balloons take off from North Reno’s Rancho San Rafael Park in the early morning light is one of the most beautiful sights there is.
 Check out this year’s show Friday, Sept. 8 – Sunday, Sept. 10 at Rancho San Rafael. On Friday the gates open at 5:30 a.m. and a mass ascension of over 100 balloons takes place. On Saturday and Sunday gates open up at 4:30 a.m. and the breathtaking Glow Show – balloons taking flight and burning burners before sunrise – takes place at 5:30 a.m. Competitions, which include Hare and Hound, Balloon Blackjack and other on- and off-field competitions – end at 10 a.m. each day.
This year’s event is special, as it is the 25th anniversary of the Great Reno Balloon Race, and in those 25 years there has not been a single serious accident.
For more information visit www.renoballoon.com or call 775-826-1181.
Photos by Alex Close/Tahoe World
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 07 September 2006 )
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