Ballooning certainly is one of the more unique and unusual sports around. The fact that there are so many variables involved only adds to the excitement and overall volatility of the outcome. Races are generally classified into two categories: speed and duration.
The weather is obviously the biggest challenge in any race, and the balloonist able to predict and react to changes in the weather is usually the one that comes out on top.
The very first balloon flight involving human beings as passengers took place on 21 November, 1783. Hot Air Ballooning as it is known today, hails from the 1960’s. Ed Yost was responsible for the invention of a propane burner system positioned at the bottom end of the balloon. Initially, his balloon had only a single seat attached to it, but later this evolved into the use of a basket that could hold a number of people at once.
As mentioned earlier, balloon pilots able to accurately read the weather, tend to be most successful during races. The goal during a balloon race is typically to pass by a target as closely as possible. Once the balloon is in close proximity to the target, the balloonist will then drop a marker, identifying the particular target. The distance between the marker and the target will determine the particular score for that target.
Balloonists are faced with a number of dangers, including high voltage power lines, mid-air collisions with other balloons aiming for the same target and errors made when calculating the speed of the balloon during a landing. These factors not only determine the outcome of a specific race, but can also pose life-threatening situations. Experienced balloonists take great caution in avoiding typically dangerous scenarios.
A wager is generally placed on the prediction of who the winner will be in any particular race. Bets may also be placed on the outcome of a specific score accumulated by a certain balloonist, or even the positions in which the balloonists are expected to finish a particular race at betting sites.
Due to the fact that races are often based squarely on endurance, some bets are even wagered on whether a balloonist will finish a race at all.
When deciding to bet on any sport – including Ballooning – it is important to not only familiarise yourself with the rules and technicalities of the race or game (in order to make an informed decision), but also with the rules of the particular online site that you are using in order to place your bet.
It is useful to look out for Aussie sports betting sites offering a start-up bonus. Many of the sports betting sites require the start-up bonus to be used within 90 days of signing up. Other sites require players to play through an amount equal to the bonus amount up to three times before any withdrawals can be made. Ensure that you are familiar with the rules of a site before joining.