SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — From football to cornhole, anything can be made into a competition. Even flying a hot air balloon can get a competitive edge.

In this week’s Flashback Friday, we take you back to 1990 when pilots squared off in Tyndall for a world championship.

It’s what people in the Tyndall area have been anticipating for days, a sky filled with majestic balloons. But while it’s fun and games on the ground, there’s some serious competition going on in the air.

“Well, this is the World Gas Balloon Championships. It’s held every 2 years. It will probably in Europe somewhere next year. So, this is quite a treat for the people here. It should be quite the treat to have this major event held here in this area.”

This event requires a pilot to drop a marker as close as possible to a predetermined spot. But even with a world championship on the line, it’s the show balloons that bring out the crowd.

“Well, I thought they were pretty neat, you know, all the different balloons and their colors and designs.”

“The special shapes are so whimsical. Chicky Boom has still got to be one of the happiest balloons I’ve ever seen. She still makes me smile. I was just marveling at her. She’s been around since 1983.”

The Super Bowl of super balloons continues tomorrow and through the weekend. Organizers are expecting that thousands of people will get swept away by balloon fever. Mike Simundson, KELOLAND News Tyndall.

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