They fly fast and furious and for a precious few days, it feels like we do, too.

 

The Red Bull Air Race brought planeloads of excitement to the riverfront on the weekend,which oodles of spectators on both sides of the Detroit River lapped up once again.

 

The high-speed daredevilry provides a rare rush.You can't help but worry in the back of your mind about how dangerous these flights seem near throngs of people.

 

It makes for a wild couple of days, obviously. But what gets underplayed, in my opinion, is the big-city flavour the Red Bull Air Race affords Windsor.

 

From the Red Bull hangarlike VIP room and Caesar Windsor's exclusive parties, to the sea of tents and the Red Bull air-control tower, the place hops like a metropolis should.

 

More than the Riverfront Festival Plaza fills to overflowing with jacked-up flight fans downing Red Bulls by the fistful. So, too, do city streets, despite the rain.

 

It's a thrill to see downtown restaurants and clubs overflow, and to have hotels booked solid, and to have tourists - many well-heeled - tooling around crowded streets.

 

It's all so cosmopolitan, with special city-core bashes from the Pour House to the Boom Boom Room.

 

So surreal, in fact, to have the Bag of Tricks break-dance crew from Toronto flipping on Riverside Drive to hard-thumping dance,while overhead a trio of Canadian Harvard Aerobatic Team planes completed loop-de-loops.

 

The fledgling Red Bull Air Race, only established in 2003, is growing in popularity.

 

New York City joined this year's circuit, which includes Abu Dhabi, Rio de Janeiro, and Perth. And, of course, wee Windsor.

 

How nice to share space on a map, as the only Canadian date, with such worldwide hot spots. As more cities vie for the break-neck competition, it seems even more prestigious to host it.

 

I like to think Red Bull returns because Windsor and Detroit show their appreciation in droves, and no doubt that's part of it.

 

But it's also political:Mayor Eddie Francis heading to Europe to pitch Windsor as host after Detroit backed out. And MPPs Dwight Duncan and Sandra Pupatello helping secure a $13.2-million investment from the McGuinty government over three years to entice Red Bull to commit to Windsor.

 

Forget the naysayers who don't like taxpayer money spent on anything but roads and sewers. I'm reminded of the movie Invictus,which tells the tale of Nelson Mandela dismissing critics to personally encourage the mostly white South African rugby team to win the world cup. He knew how much a country trying to climb out of hard times needs an explosion of pride that all its citizens can share.

 

Red Bull is Windsor's world cup.

 

The city's biggest party weekend of the year. Let's hope the government makes the same investment in the future, so that in more ways than one, Red Bull continues to give us wings.

 

Article Credit:

Craig Pearson

The Windsor Star