Balloon Fest a family affair for pilots, spectators

PROVO — The first time Tres Clements attended the Balloon Fest, he was 8 months old. It was the first hot-air balloon event of the America's Freedom Festival at Provo, and his whole family was there.

Now, 25 years later, he flies his own balloon in the annual celebration.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Balloon Fest, an annual three-day highlight of the Freedom Festival. Top balloonists from around the nation gather to compete in the "Hare and Hound" race, in which one balloon, the hare, marks a target on the ground that the rest of the balloonists, the hounds, try to hit with bean bags while flying above.

As early as 6 a.m. Thursday, hundreds of people were at Bulldog Field in Provo waiting for the event to begin. Although the weather wasn't suitable for flying, children and adults alike enjoyed watching the colorful balloons inflate. This year, 20 balloons will be flying, including ones shaped like Tony the Tiger and Smokey Bear.

Clements' balloon featuring Lady Liberty was at the southwest corner of the field. He now lives in California but still attends the event he's been flying in since he was in his late teens. In fact, Clements got his balloon pilot's license before he got his driver's license.

"That feeling of flying is addictive," he said. "It's an amazing thing. I grew up in a balloon."

Clements' father, Eddie, from Grand Junction, Colo., was one of the original balloonists to fly in the event. His wife, Shirley, said they started ballooning in 1976, when it was a fairly new sport. The family competes in other balloon events around the country, but they really enjoy the one in Provo.

"It's one of the best events because it's so family-oriented," Shirley Clements said.

Erwin Oertill and Brian Kelly, both from Highland, also have been steadfast in attending the Balloon Fest since its inception. They have more than 5,000 hours of flying experience put together and never get bored with being in the air.

"Ballooning is the safest flying sport there is," Oertill said. "It's like being on your own magic-carpet ride. It feels like the earth is moving away from you, instead of you going away from the earth."

Many of their family members are attending the event this weekend, including Kelly's son, Bronson, who got his balloon pilot's license 20 years ago, at age 17. Bronson Kelly was the youngest Utah balloon pilot to get a license and now has a 9-year-old son who says he wants to get his own license one day.