INDIANOLA, Iowa — This Friday marks the beginning of the National Balloon Classic in Indianola. It’s the biggest competitive ballooning event in the U.S., with organizers likening it to the Indianapolis 500 of the ballooning world.
The National Balloon Classic has been coming to town since the 70's. This year's National Balloon Classic includes 125 pilots. One of them is pretty hard to miss: Zerek Welz.
“I am known as the mustache guy because of the giant mustache on my balloon," he said.
This is Zerek's fifth year competing at the National Balloon Classic. He said it’s a game of accuracy and technique, not speed.
“We have to go fly to those targets and whoever gets closest and drops their bag closest to the center of the x, gets the most points," he said.
Those points get added up through the week. It’s a team effort, too. Zerek's wife Caryn helps guide him from the ground.
“My title as crew chief is to give assistance to the pilot so I’m giving them wind directions, I’m telling them what it’s doing on the surface, below the treetop, above…,” she explained.
Caryn has been ballooning since she was little. In fact, she’s the reason Zerek got into the sport.
“Whenever we first started dating, she wanted me to come out and I had no interest because I’m afraid of heights," Zerek said.
It took years of convincing, but Zerek finally caved and, when he did, he was hooked.
“You’re really just floating and, outside of the burner, it’s very peaceful…serene," he said.
“I was stoked because that means I have a partner in crime," Caryn said.
It’s become a family affair. Now, even their kids are involved. In fact, the Welz family travels around the world together, in search of new heights.
“Our family has grown super close with the sport of hot air ballooning," Caryn said.
As for Zerek's fear? Well, he's still afraid of heights, just not in a hot air balloon. Apparently, it's a common thing in the hot air balloon community.
Later this year, the family will be in Hungary, working as crew members for the U.S. team's pilots in the world competition.
The National Balloon Classic competition for the title starts Sunday morning. Points will be collected in the morning competitions throughout next week going into Saturday. Watching the morning competition is free.
In the evenings, pilots will compete in fun balloon games for prize money. There will be live bands, fireworks, and more. There is an admission fee for the evenings.
The full schedule for the 2024 National Balloon Classic can be viewed here. Organizers tell Local 5 that, as long as the wind doesn’t go above 10 knots, the balloons will take flight.