TAICHUNG (AP) – They came with homemade gliders and launched themselves into the harbour from a six-metre high ramp. Some just crashed into the water.
It was mostly if not all for fun, as thousands of spectators laughed and cheered on 45 teams competing to see who could go the farthest before falling into the waters of Taichung, Taiwan.
It was the first time the Red Bull “Flugtag”, an event held by the energy drink maker at venues, came to Taiwan.
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake in southern Taiwan was felt during the competition but not strong enough to make anyone flee the venue.
The gliders and their pilots picked up speed from a six-metre-high runway and flew as best as they could to land the farthest possible in the water.
“I am the pilot because I am the lightest,” Tina Hsu, a 30-year-old dance teacher and pilot whose team won the competition, said with a laugh.
“Everyone dreams of flying, that is why we achieved this together. We stayed up many nights, we calculated a lot and made this with our two hands.”
