Jodi Baugh was hired this same year as the Balloon jams and produced huge crowds. Twenty-eight shapes Fiesta director of corporate sales. Jodi told us she participated in the first Special Shape Rodeo, putting our needed Scott and I to come up with a name for the event new event on solid ground. The Special Shape Rodeo in order to help her to find a corporate sponsor. So, grew each year with 35 shapes in 1990, 45 shapes in at the monthly Top Gun flying event we tried to come 1991, 62 shapes from eight countries in 1992, and by up with a name. Since I was having such a hard time 1996 108 shapes. rounding up pilots to come, I suggested “Special Shape October is a wonderful time of year in Albuquerque, Round Up”. We came up with many more names, and it with cool mornings and warm afternoons. But It’s not was Frank Wechter who came up with the name “Special easy to fly balloons in the afternoon because thermal Shape Rodeo”. With this new name, Jodi successfully activity does not end until about one hour before sunset. pitched the sponsorship of the new event to Sandy We had some crazy flights during these early years and Miller with United New Mexico Bank. Wells Fargo, there are many great stories of pilots riding thermals which sponsored the shapes event for many years, was until right before sunset. By 1993, the Special Shape formerly United New Mexico Bank. Rodeo was such a success that the Balloon Fiesta One more question still remained: would people added a Thursday morning launch from the field. This come? We sure hoped so, since the forecast was for guaranteed the shape pilots at least one good flight good weather both Thursday and Friday afternoons. Boy window and showcased the shapes to the public at an did Jodi's and Sandy’s marketing skills do the job. The additional event. As the Shape events continued to grow event was such a success that it created major traffic in popularity, in 1998 the Shapes were the only balloons Below: Early Special Shape Rodeo, where the shapes flew in afternoon competitions that were sometimes breezy and turbulent. PHO T O: KIM VE SEL Y OFFICIAL PROGRAM 143