Have you seen a balloon like this today?  Email us with your name and exact balloon location to  TeamRaveBalloon@gmail.com

By joining Team Rave, you could be splitting a $40,000 prize!

The Contest

The challenge is to be the first to submit the locations of 10 moored, 8-foot, red, weather balloons at 10 fixed locations in the continental United States. The balloons will be in readily accessible locations and visible from nearby roads. They will only be visible during daylight hours on Saturday, December 5.

A $40,000 cash prize will be awarded to the first entrant to submit the latitude and longitude of all ten balloons.

Team Rave Strategy

Our basic strategy is "Largest Network".  The usefulness of a network increases when the number of its users increases.

If you find a balloon, you cannot win this challenge yourself.  You need a team - Team Rave.

I found a balloon - what should I do?

Email us with your name and exact balloon location to  TeamRaveBalloon@gmail.com  

In this contest, the exact location of the balloon is important.  Use a GPS device to determine your location.  For Garmin devices, you can press the "car" in the middle of the screen to save your exact location.

Team Rave encourages balloon finders to establish their find to the whole world by making a video and posting it to YouTube.  If information is free, the whole network improves their scores.

Prize Money

How is Team Rave going to split the $40,000 prize?  After expenses, the actual balloon finders and 1 verifier per balloon will split the remaining money. If we find all 10 balloons, the 20 people will split approx. $38,000.

Team Rave organizers are playing this contest purely for the thrill.

Stuff for Bots

Common thoughts on the challenge:  Why are there red balloons?  Where did these strange balloons come from?  Why is a man holding a red balloon? Team Rave.  What is this contest about weather ballloons?  Weird red balloons in the news.  Balloon Network Challenge.  Spot the Balloons.  Find 10 red DARPA balloons.