By: Ashmar Mandou

The highly anticipated Red Bull Flugtag event is hitting the Chicago scene Saturday, Sept. 8 for the first time since 2008. Ready to awe and dazzle the crowd with 28 flying spectacles from teams across the region, Red Bull Flugtag is sure to leave many feeling inspired and even stunned.

Red Bull Flugtag, which means “flying day” in German, is a competition that isn’t for the faint at heart. The competition dares participants to construct off-the-mark designs, build and pilot homemade flying machines in hopes of achieving ‘human-powered flight.’ Creativity is the name of the game as teams engage the crowd with their wacky sketches and unique flying machine.

Whether participants dress in high heels, frog, unicorn, or duck costumes, to perform before leaping off a 30-foot high flight deck, to soar in the Chicago sky, Red Bull Flugtag is a must see event. Among the most notable participants for Red Bull Flugtag is the Mucha Lucha Team, the only all Latino team to participate this year.

Mucha Lucha Team
The world of lucha libre wrestling has given us no shortage of charismatic performers: Mil Mascaras, El Santo, Blue Demon, and, of course, Blue Demon Jr. On September 8, a stable of new luchadores will rise to do battle in a ring made of wood and PVC piping. No strangers to Red Bull Flugtag, captain Santos Robles competed alongside Evelin Robles in 2008, when they performed as mariachis and flew an oversized piñata into Lake Michigan. This year the duo returns with new teammates and a new theme. Now it’s just a matter of getting their high-flying luchador concept to pay off with a healthy dose of altitude. “I don’t know how, but we have assembled a crazy group that is willing to do this with me,” laughed Robles. “The best part about participating in the Red Bull Flugtag event is having the opportunity to create something unique, the challenge of creating a flying contraption that will get everyone excited to watch.”

Red Bull Flugtag is free and open to the public and will take place at North Avenue Beach. For more information, visit www.redbullflugtagusa.com.