Flying Octopus

John Ninomiya

John, in addition to being a pilot with twenty years experience flying hot-air balloons, enjoys helium cluster ballooning. This is a sport that involves flying in a harness attached to large, helium-filled balloons. He is one of a handful of balloonists worldwide who practice this very unusual and exciting form of flight. Credits include being featured on MTV and the Learning Channel. His flights have included a world record attempt flight to 21,400 feet, as well as a flight over the ocean to a landing in a boat. He has made featured appearances at several major U.S. balloon festivals, including the New York State Festival of Balloons, and Temecula Balloon and Wine Festival.

Larry Moss

Larry is an entertainer, author, and instructor in the field of balloon art. He has performed and taught ballooning in eleven countries and has been seen in venues including schools, festivals, rock concerts and television. He has written one book and two CD-ROMs that teach everything from the basics of balloon twisting through advanced balloon sculpting techniques. Currently, he holds a record for the largest non-round balloon sculpture in the world; a sculpture of two 40-foot tall soccer players using over 40,000 balloons.