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A wise man contemplates the meaning of Flugtag this morning. Photo by Ryan ZumMallen

1:15pm | Well, you see, it's an event hosted by Red Bull and basically they build a giant 30-foot high platform in the ocean, then teams that have constructed these huge airplane-type crafts will push them off of the platform and see how far they fly, but most of them just plummet into the water and everybody has a good laugh.

The above sentence is exactly how I explained the Red Bull Flugtag event to my mother, when she asked me about it. Here's the thing you have to understand: once you explain Flugtag to someone who has never seen it or heard of it before, the inevitable question that you will be asked is, "Why?" Why, in God's name, would you spend hours upon hours building something that will simply be shoved into the ocean and likely destroyed? Why would people come out to see these contestants do silly dances on top of a giant platform? Why pack yourselves like sardines just to catch a fleeting glimpse of these futile attempts at flight? But by the time they've thought about it and asked all of these questions, the answer becomes pretty clear.

Hey, that actually sounds like a lot of fun.

Thirty-five teams will plunge into the ocean tomorrow along with their painstakingly-crafted flying machines, in the first Red Bull Flugtag - meaning "flying day" in German - to be held in Long Beach. The energy drink giant has made a nice little home for itself in our fair city, after staging a record-breaking rally car jump on New Year's Eve and rumors say that there could be more partnerships in the future. But Flugtag is going to be like nothing Long Beach has seen before, with estimates placing around 70,000-100,000 people in attendance for tomorrow's event. Basically, it will be New Year's Eve on steroids.

So here is our handy-dandy guide to tomorrow's action - everything from where to watch and how to get there to the teams you should be keeping your eyes on. Pound an energy drink and get excited because tomorrow is going to be a blast.

Details
Flugtag will be held in Rainbow Harbor, the small ocean inlet surrounded by the Lions Club Lighthouse, restaurants like Gladstone's and Parker's Lighthouse and directly across from the Queen Mary. The actual stage and event will take place off the Pine Avenue Pier, so try to stake out a spot that has good visibility (more on that later). The gates open at 11:00am and the fun begins at 1:00pm. I would advise getting there when the gates open.

Parking
Don't bother. It's hard enough finding accessible, affordable parking when you're going to P.F. Chang's on a weekday. I would strongly suggest organizing a bike-riding crew or taking public transportation down to Pine Avenue and Shoreline Drive, and walking the short distance to your lookout spot from there. UPDATE: If you do want to bother, you can purchase a parking pass in advance for $11.00 and then take a shuttle down to the event. Click here for that information.

Lookout Spots
This is tricky. Unlike most other Flugtag events, there is no wide beach or or huge park where you will easily be able to see the action. You can line up by fencing of the pier along the Shoreline Village restaurants like Yard House and Parker's Lighthouse, but that will fill up very quickly. Your best bet is the Lions Club Lighthouse park, which has a great view and plenty of space. But with the crowds that are expected, you really need to get there early. As a last resort, or to avoid massive crowds, head across the L.A. River to the Queen Mary park. You'll need binoculars, but it's worth a shot if you've got no other options.

Teams To Watch
From a team of Chuck Norris impersonators to Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble riding a pterodactyl (pictured right), the flying crafts will be wacky and outrageous. Some of them may even get air! I would try not to miss any of the performances because you never know what's in store, but here are a few to definitely look out for. The very first launch of the day will be a giant be-goggled goose constructed by the Long Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau to harken back to the days when the Spruce Goose used to reside next to the Queen Mary. Local students at Cal State Long Beach are fielding crafts that will resemble everything from a pinata - Flight Of The Vigilante - to a giant stingray - Flies Like A Butterfly, Stings Like A Ray - and more. But in talking to event organizers, fellow contestants and a lot of people who know nothing about aerodynamics, the consensus pick for a team that may challenge the all-time Flugtag record flight of 207 feet is Team Stealth Ginger, a clever group of local redheads that have constructed a craft mimicking the B-2 Stealth Bomber. Click here to find official info on each team competing tomorrow.

Planning On Going?
After tomorrow's event, send in your photos and videos to ryan@lbpost.com and I'll post them in a giant reader photo gallery on Monday!

Advice To Contestants
Don't drink the water.

Pack some sunscreen and bring plenty of water, see you out there!


The last thing that contestants will see before plunging into the drink.


The lighthouse will prove to be a popular lookout point. The markers in the water indicate how many feet the crafts have flown. The triangle buoy is 100 feet.


The goofy goosey design of team Flight Of The Spruce Goose.


Shake your tailfeathers.


The stage, looking right at home in Rainbow Harbor.

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