It is a month into the new year. Good news is data says only 8% have given up on their new year’s resolutions. That percent will rocket to 65% by the end of April. Too bad, just in time for some good riding.
I am not here to talk about resolutions, but I am here to say this is a good time to plan some great adventures for your year. It is still cold in many places, and we are dreaming of vacations (bike rides).
There are many great options out there for next year. I will just speak of one because it is quite different and quite enjoyable. It is a biathlon, but rest assured it has nothing to do with running, skiing or shooting. What? A Biathlon is an official Olympic winter sport of skiing and shooting and a Duathlon is a run/bike combination. But alas, in this case those specifications were not heeded.
This event includes bicycles and balloons. No, not the balloons that a clown would carry. I know with some of the current kits out there (or definitely some from past periods) clown balloons might fit. The balloons of which I speak are big – really huge hot air balloons. You want more details?
The Natchez Balloon Festival is a balloon race and festival. More on that later.
The Biathlon? Well, Friday morning is before the festival officially starts and is called the media ride. If you are media, they take you up in a balloon and hope you write/represent the festival in a way that gets the word out. But – often more balloons than media personnel are present. There are lots of balloons. Curtis (one of the festival organizers) rides bikes. So, he started putting a cyclist in the balloons that had an empty space and created the biathlon. What he called the Balloon Biathlon.
How did that work? Well, pretty nice. It went like this …
Balloon pilot briefing. Weather, winds, locations etc. At the meeting pilots are assigned a cyclist and are told where they can launch. Sometimes they are told the final destination, but most often they just have to follow a lead balloon that takes off first. They get to the start location, set up (all but actually filling the balloon) and wait. Definitely a ‘different’ start line as it is often a field, parking lot or even multiple locations. When the word goes out over the radio that they can start inflating the balloon – that is the starting gun. Or the starting fan as it goes.
Balloon is inflated, takes off and flys to target location. Most often there is a literal target there, and the balloon tosses a bean bag at the target. Points are awarded (or seconds added) based on the distance from the bullseye. Then, they land. The cyclist jumps out of balloon basket … in a beautiful meadow, in a parking lot, in a muddy field, behind a big fence in an industrial area, at the airport (all and more have occurred). Anyway, cyclist exits ballon and goes to the chase vehicle to retrieve the bike. The chase vehicle is there to pack up the balloon. Once upon a time the bike was strapped to the basket of the balloon, but landing can be soft or … not so soft … and the bike could take a ‘hit’. As you would guess, that could be bad … very bad. So now, the cyclist jumps out of balloon, goes to chase vehicle that has the bike, jumps on the bike and rides back to the visitor center which is the end of the race/finish line.
Pretty easy correct? Not so fast. Yes, this race is based on time; but is not only about speed. It is time-based, but seconds are added based on distance from the target of the bean bag tossed from the balloon. Some are far and need the arm of an NFL quarterback to get near the target (which is 50 meters across). Some are literally 3 feet off the ground lean over and lay the beanbag on the bullseye. Pilot skill is real. Wind changes. There are many variables.
It is also about choices. We know both start and finish locations. That is all. The cyclist knows the finish is at the Visitor Center. No problem. Not so fast. The cyclist is now riding to the finish line but remember – no one knew the final flight destination. So – the chase vehicle has to get to the landing location for the cyclist to get on the bike. That might take some time as they are looking in the sky and have to know which roads will take them to where they think the balloon will land. They want to get there quickly. The cyclist also has to know how to get back to the Visitor Center – not just anyway back but the fastest way back. Again, the cyclist did not know where they were going to land. That aerial view is not only beautiful, but does help to get a ‘lay of the land’ for the return trip.
As always, there are many variables. One year a balloon landed just 50 feet from all the other balloons. But, he was on the other side of a body of moving water. The cyclist was well aware of his location. He yelled across, “wait for me for lunch, I will be there eventually.” It was 8:15am. He knew that even though he was just 50 feet from the others at this moment, the only bridge to take him across that body of water was not near and took him the other direction. He would be well over an hour just getting to the bridge. Another hour to get back to where everyone else was at that moment. Then, he had to ride back to the Visitor Center. Ahhh – the variables. Yes, he could have bailed out – but he was a great sport. Why did the balloon not just take off and go back 50 feet? Well, it might have been space limitation on the initial landing, but the wind is what guides the balloon’s direction, so lifting off again would only move the balloon farther from the others, not closer. Race dynamics.
As you might guess speed is important. Rider speed and balloon speed. In addition, balloon accuracy and cyclist understanding of location and return route are important. Did the fastest cyclist always win? No. It helps, but the nature of the competition evens it out a bit more.
Yes, I did participate. No, I never had a pilot that was competitive. Remember, the focus is media day. Some pilots love this part of the competition (which was not official) but many were participating but not really competing. In my case, often by the time we got in the air I could see friends on bikes on their way back. Once we had just taken off and were flying over the Mississippi River. I looked down at the bridge and there is Frank on his bike coming across the bridge … he was less than a mile from the finish. I was just taking off. But alas, a few were really racing whereas most were just enjoying.
The Balloon Biathlon was always Friday morning. The festival officially starts Friday evening and the town celebrates all weekend (well usually much longer). The festival site has great music, balloon glows, balloon rides, a carnival, food, drinks, merchandise and – a festival. Always good music, and a great site. No, not some generic fairgrounds as in most cities. The festival is hosted by the Natchez Historic Foundation (a fundraiser for them), so the festival grounds are the old historic home of Melrose on the bluff overlooking the Mississippi river. Melrose is a historic structure built on the old site of a french fort that looked over the Mississippi River way back when Mississippi was being explored (claimed) by many. It must be the most beautiful festival site ever … and the sunset … always amazing from the bluff in Natchez. Balloons, music, sunset …
Bad news. Some of you were tipped off at the beginning of the last paragraph when I used the past tense. The balloon biathlon has taken a break. It has not occurred in the last few years. There are rumors of it returning. Good news – the Natchez Balloon Festival has not missed a beat and will celebrate 40 years in 2025 and is going strong. Join us.
Still more good news. Even though the biathlon is not currently active, our bicycle club is quite active this weekend. We always do a balloon chase. Join us. We meet, ride to where the balloons launch and watch. Then we ride to where the balloons are landing or dropping bean bags. Often, there is breakfast after at a great local place. Always beautiful and enjoyable. The skill of the pilots is amazing. Once I watched a pilot in a clearing surrounded by big trees come in – lose altitude fast and get low to the target – choose not to throw – pull up and rise fast – catch wind current higher which sent him back the direction from which he came – then come back for a second pass. He did that three times, until the last time he got so close that the person reached out and laid the bean bag on the bullseye. Just a few feet off the ground. Amazing.
Balloons, Music, Food, Beverage, River, Sunsets, Bikes … combined in a special Natchez way.
But Conner, why did you write about it now; the Natchez Balloon Festival occurs the third weekend of October, you should have told us the week before? Well, if you want to come you need to book your lodging NOW. Literally. Lodging often fills a full year prior. So you are already behind. Sorry. Here is your chance to plan to be here as you plan your 2025 adventures. Book lodging now and join us next year. We will be here … and we will be having fun. You are invited to join us on our rides and at the site – our group is quite welcoming.
