2004 Ohio Challenge Hot Air Balloon Festival

NEWS RELEASE

For more information: Ann Mort, Publicity – 513-424-2038, Rmort@cinci.rr.com

Kathy Venturella, Chamber Event Coordinator-513-422-4551,kathy@thechamberofcommerce.org  www.ohiochallenge.com

For immediate release

July 26, 2004

RON TERRANOVA WINNER OF OHIO CHALLENGE HOT AIR BALLOON COMPETITION

Ron Terranova, from Fairfield, Ohio, won the second annual Ohio Challenge hot air balloon competition held July 23-24-25 in Middletown, Ohio. 

Not only did Terranova complete the required “tasks” to win the competition, he just “dropped in” to visit his wife at her work place at the end of the flight. The final competition flight at this year’s Ohio Challenge involved four tasks or targets set at various points around the area: two at Smith Park in Middletown, site of the Ohio Challenge festival, one each at Edgewood High School in Trenton and Sebald Park, west of Middletown. After completing the target tasks, pilots then fly on to choose a landing site to set down and pack up their balloon. 

Ron Terranova flew on to Hamilton, Ohio, and landed in Wilson Junior High School playground, next door to Fort Hamilton Hughes Hospital where his wife, a nurse, was on duty.

A hot air balloon pilot for 12 years, Mr. Terranova bested the field of 29 competing pilots, scoring 4,473 points compared to second place pilot, Michael Emich from Akron, Ohio, who scored 4,090 points. Other top scoring pilots were Mark Harris from Iowa City, Iowa; Jim Birk from Defiance, Ohio; and Bill Wysong from Cincinnati.

Mr. Terranova, an architect by profession, said “It is outstanding how Middletown supports ballooning. When the Nationals were here in 1992-1994 they got excited about ballooning. That event went away but they have kept up their support and worked hard to present this new event. Last year it worked very well from an event point of view. With bad weather last year there were no competition flights. This year, its an even better event and we were able to get in the two morning competition flights.”

Tournament director Maury Sullivan said, “We’ve thoroughly enjoyed the event. Middletown did a wonderful job of organizing and raising the money necessary to put on such a fine show.”

Ron Terranova, flying Adams Nirvana sponsored by Otterbein Retirement Community, caught the flying bug at the U.S. National Hot Air Balloon Championships held in Middletown in 1992, 1993 and 1994. After a few days of serving as a crew member for another pilot, he set out to earn his own hot air balloon license.. His love for the sport allows him to hone his skills and become a skilled competitor. He stresses that he is a recreational competitor rather than a serious contender in the competition for national titles. However, he did rank in the 160s among all competitors nation-wide in 2003.

Winning the Ohio Challenge’s $1,000 first place prize was certainly a welcome reward but an even greater reward is the boost to his national ranking for the next year.  The top ranked 100 hot air balloon pilots in the U.S. are invited to compete in the national championships each year. The winner then flies in the world competition event.

Hot air balloon competitions are not based on speed since balloons can travel only as fast as the winds they are riding and therefore, most balloons will be floating along at about the same speed. The competition is based on the skill of the pilot who chooses which wind current to ride to read a pre-determined target point chosen just a few minutes before the flight by the tournament director. Wind currents at different altitudes will flow in slightly different directions. A pilot heats the air inside the balloon to rise or lets it cool to drop to find a different wind current to change direction..

A single competition flight may involve several potential target points and the pilots attempt to reach those points (huge “X” targets set on the ground several miles apart) then toss a weighted streamer called a “baggie” at the x.  The pilot dropping his or her marker closest to the center of the target gets the most points for that “task.”

The first Ohio Challenge held in 2003 held no competitive flights because weather conditions kept most balloons on the ground.  Ohio Challenge 2004 was able to complete two competition flights, on Saturday and Sunday mornings out of the three flights scheduled.

The Ohio Challenge, with primary sponsor Mid-First Credit Union, is hosted by the Chamber of Commerce serving Middletown, Monroe and Trenton.  Dan Sack, owner of The Fourth R of Southwestern Ohio, serving as general chairman of the event said, “Middletown’s continuous love affair with balloons was again evident this weekend. It was a record setting weekend with outstanding support from the spectators, sponsors, volunteers,  pilots and crews. The balloon teams worked hard all weekend to present a good show for the spectators as they competed for points toward their national standings. We thank everyone involved in Ohio Challenge.”

For more information, call 513-571-2290 or visit www.ohiochallenge.com

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