LAZY SUNDAY #74: THE WORLD SKY RACE

I’m a sucker for steam-punk and sky pirates and pulp adventure and any organization with “League of…” or “…World Headquarters” in their title.

Maybe that comes from reading too many Jules Verne novels when I was a kid, being inspired by the possibilities of The Rocketeer’s jet-pack or finding myself endlessly intrigued by exotic destinations that could only be reached via the Orient Express or a silver skinned dirigible.

In a way, all of those things shared the same combination of detailed forethought and absolute freedom. I loved that Captain Nemo had known a giant pipe organ would be a perfect way to pass the time underwater and worked it into his design. I looked forward to that scene in every safari movie where everybody went to Abercrombie and Fitch (when they manufactured more than fraternity wear) and stocked up on portable liquor cabinets and elephant guns.

Those things always implied that adventure should be accompanied by a certain sophistication and sense of style.

And those days are not dead…

We are a mere year away from the first “World Sky Race”.

Sponsored by the “World Air League”, this is a round the world race of nationally sponsored lighter-than-air skyships making a 30,000 mile journey overtop the planet’s greatest man made and natural wonders.

The competing skyships will start at the Greenwich Prime Meridian flying south to Africa, across the Indian Ocean to the Orient, island hop the Pacific to North America, then glide down to Central America, then back up the North Atlantic to finish where they began at the Prime Meridian.

Just like Phileas Fogg!

The event will be the largest man-made event seen by live spectators in the history of the human race. And the league promises it will also be…

Epic in Proportion

             Colossal in Spirit

                       Grand with Adventure

Hey, they had me at “World Air League”.

You can join in the fun here. And if anybody wants to fund a Canadian entry or needs a charming and worldly addition to their crew, I’m ready!

In the meantime, here’s a taste of the adventure that lies ahead…

Fire your imagination – and enjoy your Sunday.