Since the first Snowmass Balloon Festival in 1976, veteran balloonist Dewey Reinhard missed the competition only once. He, along with the rest of the U.S. Balloon Team, was in Europe for the world ballooning championship competition.
“I never was able to win the thing,” said Reinhard, 78, “but I always finished respectably.”
Reinhard, a Colorado Springs resident, is among 30 seasoned pilots at the 33rd annual Snowmass Balloon Festival that ends today in Snowmass Village. Participation is by invitation only, and all pilots must be experienced in mountain flying.
The pilots’ skills got a workout Saturday morning in the “Dawn Quixote” competition, which requires balloonists to jockey around one another as they maneuver a long spiked pole to pop large helium balloons tethered to the ground. One of today’s events, “Target Tubing,” requires pilots to hover over the Snowmass golf course ponds while tossing tennis balls into large inflatable rings.
“It sounds kind of stupid, but it’s actually quite challenging,” Reinhard said.
“I’m not as competitive as I used to be, but I still like to win.”
Reinhard pilots a fiery red, orange and yellow balloon dubbed “Free Spirit II,” and intends to continue piloting hot- air balloons and flying at the Snowmass Balloon Festival for “as long as I can see the power lines.”
Balloon festivals in the Rocky Mountain states largely are summer events, but before pilots turn off their gas burners for the season, there’s one more big festival. Reinhard plans to take his rig to New Mexico’s week-long Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta (Oct. 3-12). Can’t make it? Follow the fun on the FiestaCam online at balloonfiesta .
