BALLS 33 brought a wave of high-flying achievements and a few new names in the Tripoli record books. Several flyers pushed the limits of performance, with some records narrowly holding and others falling to impressive new flights.
One of the closest battles came in the Single Stage O-class category, where Mike Fort held on to his record by a razor-thin margin. Art Hoag came within less than 200 feet—just 0.2%—of overtaking him, with both rockets soaring to an incredible 70,000 feet. While the record stands, Art’s flight was a full success and deserves recognition.
Congratulations to the New Record Holders:
- Jack Poehlman / Bryce Chanes: Research Group, 54mm 12–24" to 11,721 feet.
- Manny Ballestero: Research 5" over 48" — one of the highest altitude flights at BALLS 33, reaching 57,000 feet with full recovery
- Hunter Davis: Complex Staged M-class, 53,000 feet — breaking a long-standing record
- Conrad Mouton / Jack Poehlman: Research Group, 75mm under 26", 17,146 feet — edging out John and Jenni Etgen’s previous record.
Other records are still pending confirmation, with Jason Brown and John and Jenni Etgen expected to add their names to the list once paperwork is finalized.
Records Beyond BALLS 33
It wasn’t just the Black Rock Desert that saw milestones this season. At Airfest and SodBlaster, several more flyers secured new records. Congratulations to Sean Tarbox, Jack Poehlman (twice!), Ben Murdock, Kevin Estes, Bryce Chanes, Patrick Naumann, and Kyle Cornelius for their achievements.
For complete details, visit the Records Search to explore all the latest official standings.