“I had tears in my eyes”: Balloon Fiesta’s first special shape inflates on its 40th anniversary

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – On Friday morning, a small group of friends got together and inflated the very first special shape balloon to ever be in the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. On October 6, 1983, Chic-I-Boom flew for the first time for a filming of the TV show “That’s Incredible.” That year’s Balloon Fiesta would be its Albuquerque debut and the first special shape to fly at the event.

Jacques Soukup, who first came up with the idea with his partner Kirk Thomas in 1982, was a part of Friday’s crew and said the experience was emotional. “I had tears in my eyes, It’s just amazing,” Soukup said. Chic-I-Boom has had many homes over the years but it has recently been donated to the Anderson Abruzzo International Balloon Museum. On Friday, Chic-I-Boom didn’t fly due to wind, but she was able to inflate and enjoy some Albuquerque sun.