Ashland team hopes to launch an exploding Mr. T van off a Portland pier July 31

Devon Lyons plans to dance around like a nut case with his friends and then plummet 30 feet into the Willamette River, all because he wants to learn to fly.

And pity the foo’ who stands in his way.

Lyons is the leader of an irreverent group of Ashland frequent fallers who will travel to Portland this month as part of the eclectic Flugtag — a mix of dress-up, skits and flying machines sponsored by makers of the energy drink Red Bull.

The Ashland team took second in a similar Flugtag, which is German for "Flying Day," in San Francisco last fall when they spoofed Oregon’s backwoods image while "flying" a covered wagon.

This year, they’ll resurrect Mr. T and television’s "The A-Team" and attempt to fly their version of the A-Team’s famous van as far across the Willamette as these 20- something nuts can.

Advertisement

"We were thinking about having the van blow up in the air and, hopefully, one of the wings will fly a little," says Lyons, 25, a Southern Oregon University student and co-owner of a party-throwing business called 3 a.m.

If their mix of distance and style points tops the field of 28 teams July 31 at Portland’s Tom McCall Waterfront Park, then Lyons and friends will win free flying lessons.

"Me and the pilot (Seth Rand) would love to learn how to fly," Lyons says. "This is just a really creative way to get a shot at it."

Creativity is at the heart of the Flugtag, which is Red Bull’s enormously popular way of putting a little levity in life as well as getting the name "Red Bull" in the media as much as possible for free.

The event is an offbeat mix of performance art and physics that asks entrants to create the most funky, unique and entertaining winged thing imaginable.

First, entrants perform a two-minute skit, complete with musical soundtrack, involving their airship’s theme on the flat runway.

"We have to be as goofy as possible," says Rand, 19, who is Lyons’ roommate in Ashland. "But you still have to be cool when you’re up there on the pier."

For the crescendo, up to four people launch the one-person airship to its watery destiny.

It’s less Wright Brothers and more Buzz Lightyear: Teams don’t fly as much as fall, with style.

And the A-Team will do it with mohawk wigs and gold jewelry.

"The A-Team" was a 1980s action show in which a group of commandos drove around in a van saving innocent people and managing to blow everything up without actually hurting anyone. It created pop celebrity status for Mr. T, whose mohawk ’do and chest of gold chains matched the excessiveness of the decade.

The shtick has to be good enough to beat a flying Wonka bar, a soaring Scottish terrier, a giant floating mullet and other entries.

Red Bullians particularly are awaiting the rematch between the Ashland group and a team called El Toro Guapo, which edged out the Ashlanders last year at San Francisco.

Lyons, Rand and teammate Steve Munson have a good shot at winning, organizers say.

"These guys are hilarious," says Piney Kahn, Red Bull’s media relations manager and a fan of Lyons’ team. "They’re creative and they don’t take themselves seriously, and Flugtag’s all about that.

"And you gotta love Mr. T."

Lyons says the A-Team will spoof one of the episodes, then launch the van over the edge with either him or Rand at the helm.

If the wing explodes as planned, it will drift far enough forward before hitting the water to garner enough points for the A-Team to win.

First, they have to watch some reruns.

"Unfortunately, my knowledge of ‘The A-Team’ isn’t too in-depth," Rand says. "I was a little young for it."

The van also is in its infancy. The group has designed it, but the teammates are looking for sponsors to help cover the estimated $3,000 it’ll take to build it, Lyons says.

Kahn says she expects 20,000 people at the Portland Flugtag, which joins Miami and Cleveland for such venues this year.

"It’s a great city full of creative people," says Kahn, a Portland native. "Portland rules."

Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 776-4470, or e-mail mfreeman@mailtribune.com