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With the much anticipated Red Bull Flugtag about to go down at the V & A Waterfront in Cape Town this weekend a very amped and energetic team got in contact with us with the idea of featuring their idea and the build of their craft. We liked the idea and now we introduce to you the Cool Runnings Flugtag Team. A group of alternative sport junkies based in Joburg and ready to take on the competition this weekend.
“Feel the rhythm, feel the ride, get on up, its Flugtag time! Cooool Runniiiiings!” Borrowed and adapted from the famous 1990’s film Cool Running’s, when a Jamaican Bobsled teams attempts to enter the Winter Olympics, this is the slogan of the Cool Running’s Red Bull Flugtag team who along with 45 other interesting teams will descend upon the V&A waterfront in Cape Town on the 8th and 9th December for Amateur Flying supremacy.
“Flugtag” which is German for “Flying Day”, began in Austria more than a decade ago, and has since spread the world like a plague, with this year’s South African event being the 183rd running of the event, the 3rd of 2012, and the 2nd event held on South African shores, the first of which was held in 2003 at Benoni Lake. The stage is set for this event to be the biggest, with more than 200 000 people expected to pass through the waterfront throughout the weekend. The format is rather straightforward and begins with submission of a design draft, some more wacky than functional, but all of which deserved an entry. 46 teams of 4 have been selected from more than 400 applicants and the build process was begun. The event is judged on appearance and showmanship, as well as distance flown.
The Cool Running’s Flugtag team is the brainchild of Grant Frerichs, a well known South African Motocross racer and Supermoto Champion. He selected his brother Darryn, a mechanical engineer and ex National MX and SM racer as well as his brother Ryan, a National Downhill Mountain biker to assist with the build and participate in the event. They used their German Heritage and the German origin of the event to create the German branded flying bobsled. A late addition to the team is the teams long-time friend and ex-racer Devon Jardim, who is just as famous for his catch phrase “I like to ride bikes and jump jumps” as he is for his racing.
The build began just over 4 weeks ago, with the team enduring some long nights of designing and problem solving, and many days and nights assembling the craft. One look at the build videos posted on the team’s facebook fan page will show that it was mostly fun and games, with the team’s background, they always kept it fun! And here they are, after what began as a joke, they are about to travel down to Cape Town with their craft, which resembles something which is very likely to actually fly. If you are in the Western Cape area and looking for something to do this weekend 8th and 9th December, pull through to the V&A waterfront and follow the sounds of the chainsaws to the Cool Running’s pits for some support for the friendly German Bobsledders. Entrance is free. Hooorrraaahhh!
Cool Running’s would like to thank Perfecto Carriers, Econopac, Full Throttle, Racestar Graffix, Von Zipper and everyone who made the build and the travel to Cape Town possible.
Keep up to date with the team’s progress along with photos and videos on Twitter as well as their Facebook Page.
Red Bull Flugtag South Africa – It’s about the fun
The Cool Running Flugtag Team’s finished craft
