World-record blob launch attempt set at Tahoe

A group of extreme athletes will battle the blob in search of a world record at Lake Tahoe this month.

Not the 1950s-era science fiction blob, but an inflatable airbag on the surface of the lake that can launch a person uncomfortably high into the air before sending him or her plunging into the water.

The stunt will entail accomplished skiers, BASE jumpers and stuntmen taking flight in a powered paraglider, dropping onto an inflated airbag and sending another one of their peers airborne, said Brigham Dallas, a spokesman for Fat Boys Water Trampolines. The company built the blob that will be used during the event, an attempt break the world record for highest launch off an airbag.

Typically, blob launches are accomplished by people jumping from a cliff, crane or other stationary object. A moving paraglider adds a unique challenge to the effort, Dallas said.

“It’s going to be a crazy stunt,” he said. “Nothing like this has ever been done.”

Organizers hope athletes will break a world record by reaching heights of 70 feet or more.

A November video posted on the Guinness World Records YouTube channel shows an 18-meter, quadruple back-flipping airbag launch that the brewing company considers the world record.

The Lake Tahoe effort will take place at Round Hill Pines Beach and Marina on the Nevada side of the South Shore. People are encouraged to come watch the attempts, Dallas said. Athletes will take to the blob starting the morning of July 13 and continue through July 17, weather-permitting. World-record attempts are expected later in the week as the athletes get used to the setup.

The event will raise money through merchandise sales for the victims of recent tornados in Oklahoma, Dallas said. He expects to post video of the attempts at www.watertrampolinesexpress.com.