It was the best day Tampa could ask for while hosting the 2024 Red Bull Flugtag. Gorgeous partly-sunny blue skies and 85 degree weather put everybody in the right mood for some day drinking and watching a bunch of people crash into Tampa Bay. Keep scrolling to see our favorite epic photos of flights, teams, and failures from the Red Bull Flugtag in Tampa.
The 32 teams handcrafted human-powered aircrafts to run and launch them over a 27-foot platform in hopes for some sweet prizes, on top of the glory and bragging rights. These teams hailed from all over, from local teams from Tampa and St. Pete, to Orlando and even South Carolina and Utah. Scores were determined based on the creativity and design of their craft, showmanship of their skit, and the total distance traveled. Judges included Tampa sports royalty Andrei Vasilevskiy and Derrick Brooks, but also Red Bull athlete Meagan Ethell, Turner “Tfue” Tenney (global e-sporst player and streamer); and Twan Kuyper (actor and social media star).
An estimated 80,000 people gathered around the Tampa Convention Center, along the water, at American Social and Jacksons, and all across Bayshore. About the same amount of people we saw at the Tampa boat parades for the Lightning and Bucs.
“All the teams put so much effort into their crafts. What impressed me the most was when a team didn’t just build a craft that could go the distance, but also went all out with their costumes and skit – especially when the skit matched well with the name.” said Meagan Ethell in a Red Bull press release.
Which Team Won The 2024 Red Bull Flugtag In Tampa?
Speaking of the teams, before the start of the first launch, you were able to walk the “runway” and check out the home-made aircrafts and meet the teams behind the creativity. A couple of our favorites were The Flug Shag – an Austin Powers themed craft and team. They had every memorable member down from Dr. Evil, to Goldmember, and the model with the guns on her… you know. Dr. Evil explained to me that the key to their success will be the “freakin’ shark, with the freakin’ laser beam on top of it’s head”. Another one of our favorites were The Polk County Hillbillies, whose aircraft even included Sheriff Grady Judd. And an honorable mention definitely goes to the Fantastic Flying Legends of Wrestling.
The team with the most creativity, best skit and flight was team Flug Shag (from Orlando), with a flight record of 51 feet. Among the bragging rights, they won an experience at the 2025 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix. Second place was awarded to Jet ICU from Tampa, Fl (48 feet), and third place went to the Flying Spartans from Tampa, Fl (45 feet). The People’s choice award went to JoogSquad from Indian Rocks, FL. Their aircraft was inspired by the beauty that their community showed during Hurricane Helene and Milton.
Here Are Our Favorite Photos From The 2024 Tampa Red Bull Flugtag Flights, Crews, and Crashes
Photos taken by Jen Glorioso for Beasley Media Group and Chris Tedesco / Red Bull Content Pool
