When we arrived on event day, officials were keeping a close eye on Zupan and his troops, who already looked more than a little haggard. Rocky -- Zupan's usually smooth-shaven roommate -- was wearing a black, center-parted rug, a set of plastic super pecs and a clip-on tie. Zupan's buddy Greg's face was buried in the opaque abyss of a pair of women's control-top panty hose.
And Jacob -- a bearded, brown-skinned strapping young fellow -- stood under a lawn umbrella wearing a pink dress with a blonde wig in one hand. A panel of celebrity judges was responsible for evaluating the 28 teams. The lineup included actors, actresses, politicians, musicians, and Olympic swimmer/Playboy cover girl Amanda Beard.
(What? You really need to know who else was there?) Mary Buckheit for ESPN.
com Zupan looks excited to take flight, doesn't he? The fans in attendance also had a say in the matter, via text message. And more than 85,000 people, the largest Flugtag audience to date in the U.
S., swarmed the shore and lined First Street Bridge to view the festivities. Some folks even opted for a front-row seat by taking to the water in kayaks, making for a scene reminiscent of McCovey Cove.
After 26 teams had blasted off, it was time for Team Superman's Crip-tonite to take the plunge . The crew assembled on the flight deck, where a cardboard phone booth concealed Zuperman. Clark Kent, two crooks and a damsel in distress acted out a small scuffle before Zup emerged to save the day as R.
E.M.'s "I Am Superman" pumped from the speakers.
Next, his four buddies lifted their fearless pilot up into the seat, just like they had practiced in the driveway the night before. They got behind their winged creation (two tandem bikes welded together, and fused onto 30-foot-wide wings made of pipe and parachute) and pushed as hard and as fast as they could, dashing down the deck and eventually off the edge, out into the water. Mary Buckheit for ESPN.
com It's a bird, it's a plane ...
no, it's Zuperman! Unfortunately Team Zupan fell just short of the top prize. The winners were Team Skate And Destroy, who sailed atop a massive winged skateboard and mustered a few more inches.
The fellas of the Skatepark of Austin who engineered the craft earned bragging rights and a real pilot training course (or the $7,500 cash equivalent). Zupan's squad placed second -- which netted them a skydiving adventure or three grand. As he was toweling off, I asked Zupan what he remembered about the plunge.
He replied: "I looked down at the boys, and they made sure I was in the chair, then they were off. My first thought was holy s---, and I believe those were the words that came out of my mouth. We were in the air and then the duct tape [handle] broke and I began my free fall.
I tucked and rolled, like any other cripple who was falling from 30-something feet would do. I hit the water and all I was thinking about was how I was going to get out from under the wing -- my biggest fear. I held my breath, ducked under, and out I popped.
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