The America's Challenge Gas Balloon Race was founded by the
Balloon Fiesta in 1995 due to the vision and efforts of Mark
Sullivan, former Balloon Fiesta President and recipient of the
Montgolfier Diplome (one of ballooning's highest honors), who saw
the need for America to be identified with the world's most
prestigious ballooning sport.
The America’s Challenge Gas Balloon Race is modeled after
the Coupe Aeronautique Gordon Bennett, but it differs from the
older event in allowing balloons from all countries, without limits
on the number of entries from each. The team that travels the
longest distance wins. 1995 was the first year of the
America’s Challenge, and has been held in Albuquerque every
year since.
The launches began with an emotional ceremony honoring friends
and fellow competitors Richard Abruzzo and Carol Rymer Davis, who
disappeared nine days before during a similar race, the Coupe
Gordon Bennett, and were never found. Richard had been scheduled to
compete in the America’s Challenge with former New Mexico
Governor Gary Johnson.
The America’s Challenge competitors afforded Richard and
Carol the ceremonial first position in the competition order. As
per tradition, the US National Anthem was played and at the end of
the anthem, competitors, officials, and spectators released white
balloons carrying aloft good wishes and prayers for Richard and
Carol. On the launch platform, Richard’s brothers Benny and
Louis and Carol’s husband John, daughter Heather, and
grandson Ryan released the first two balloons. In the background
glowed two splashes of color – Richard Abruzzo’s hot
air balloon “Peak Express” and Carol Rymer Davis’
hot air balloon “Raggedy Ann.”
A few minutes later , the first of the competitors, the team of
Phil Bryant and Phil MacNutt, were walked to the launch platform
and lifted off, followed in rapid sequence by the other five
balloons. All were aloft by 12:45 AM MDT (0645Z). As they gained
altitude they began to head southeast towards Tijeras Canyon at the
southern end of the Sandia Mountains .
The object of the race is to fly the greatest distance from
Albuquerque. Several days later, the final balloon aloft in the
America’s Challenge distance race for gas balloons landed
safely on the U.S./Canadian border. Albuquerque’s Barbara
Fricke and Peter Cuneo are the winners of the race, having flown
1,350 miles in approximately 57 hours and 30 minutes. The team
landed on the east shore of the Detroit River in Windsor, Ontario
Canada. Gas balloon landings in urban areas are very unusual, as
the balloons usually land in rural and even remote areas.
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