o realize the signifi cance that the Special afternoon events had much more potential for attracting Shape Rodeo has had on the Balloon spectators than the pre-dawn morning events. Fiesta, you need to go back to 1986. I was elected to the Balloon Fiesta Board in 1989 and In those days, the balloons only fl ew was excited to be part of such a great balloon event. morning events during the nine-day event. Scott and I realized that afternoon events could be a The mass ascensions on the weekends major source of new revenue for the Balloon Fiesta, and T were the main attraction and about the only source of we started brainstorming on what type of event would revenue for the Balloon Fiesta. There were not many work. At the time, I was fl ying special shape balloons spectators during the week, even though the pilots took belonging to the Soukup/Thomas balloon fl eet along to the air every fl yable day. with some commercial shape balloons belonging to The Balloon Fiesta fi rst began to realize the potential Harold Warner, a Canadian balloon operator. Special of evening events a year later. Since 1979, glowing shape balloons had appeared at Balloon Fiesta as part of balloons had been on display at Albuquerque’s annual the regular fl ying events and were enormously popular. Christmas Eve Luminaria Tours. Balloons infl ate at We thought that a new event featuring special shapes golf courses around the city and sometimes at other on Thursday and Friday afternoons might just work if locations like the University of NM sports complex, enough shapes would participate. and glow for the caravan of cars viewing all the sites Nothing was going on at the fi eld on Thursday and who put up luminarias. In 1987 Scott Appelman, who Friday afternoon, so we made a pitch to the Balloon was serving his fi rst year on the Balloon Fiesta Board Fiesta Board to bring in some shapes for these two of Directors, suggested having balloons glow on the afternoons. The Board was quite skeptical that it would fi rst Sunday evening. The Board had never considered work, and the vote was anything but unanimous. One of having afternoon events but decided to give Scott’s idea the selling points was Scott telling the board that I knew a go. Ballooning is best in the morning, so I don’t think all of the special shape pilots and shape owners and the Balloon Fiesta realized how many people would could get enough shapes to put on a good show. prefer to come to an evening event when they were The Board agreed, but there was no money in the off work. The Balloon Glow was a huge success which budget to fund bringing in special shape balloons. It was not only changed the Balloon Fiesta but changed how not easy to convince pilots to come, since we had no balloon events operated across the world. After all, money to pay them. There were few non-commercial Pictured: The eyes always have it at the Special Shape Rodeo! OFFICIAL PROGRAM 141