Ascent Vision Technologies and the City of Bozeman have announced the first annual Bridger Cup, a drone competition, exhibition and celebration to be held September 18th and 19th in Bozeman, Montana.
The inaugural Bridger Cup is an event which will showcase the latest in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, or “drones”, with a unique series of competitions, demonstrations and exhibitions of numerous types of drones performing various tasks in a fun and educational setting. Drone manufacturers and retailers will be present to discuss, display, and provide an opportunity to fly and even purchase these remarkable new aircraft. Pilots, future pilots and spectators will all enjoy the wonderful forum of drone excitement that will be The Bridger Cup.
The primary goal of The Bridger Cup event is to raise awareness of the beneficial and productive applications of drone technology as promising tools to be embraced and welcomed by all members of the public. The ability to safely and precisely operate in the skies overhead while acquiring vital high definition visual imagery and other digital information, opens up countless valuable and innovative ways to improve productivity, safety, the economy and the quality of life for society at large. Experts will be on hand to discuss the many wonderful ways in which drones seem destined to shape our future.
The centerpiece of The Bridger Cup is the drone competition and demonstration that is scheduled to occur between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds, located at 311 W. West Main, Bozeman, Montana USA at the Baseball Field and Stadium facility. There will be competitions involving speed, maneuverability, lifting capacity, and more, which will test the skills of the pilots and the capabilities of their aircraft. Also scheduled are interesting demonstrations of new drones, and applications of drones for specific tasks such as cinematography, search and rescue, fire-fighting, agricultural productivity and resource conservation, among others. A drone-flying area is also on tap, which will allow attendees to test their hand at actually test-flying drones and learning about drones from experienced pilots and trainers who will be there to explain and assist.
The Bridger Cup Drone Film Festival is another exciting phase of the event. Many of us have thrilled to the incomparable views and unique perspectives provided by drone photographers and film makers, who capture footage from the air in breathtaking ways. The organizers of the Bridger Cup are supporters of these creative artists, and have therefore established a short film competition held by the Audience Awards and sponsored by the Montana Film Office and Kalispell-based film maker Birds Eye of Big Sky. The competition will feature two-minute films from around the world, and will show case the abilities of movie makers to use drones in their craft. Generous prizes including cash and a new quadcopter drone will be awarded to the winning entries. All are invited to enter this contest, with details to be discovered at www.theaudienceawards.com
The Bridger Cup is designed to appeal to a wide range of drone enthusiasts and spectators. Manufacturers, retailers and other commercial enterprises will be showing off their products, holding demonstrations and discussing their products and innovations. Drone experts and trainers will be on hand to teach basic skills and share their knowledge. Pilots and racers will compete, excite and impress attendees with their skills and their aircraft’s capabilities through a fun slate of events including obstacle courses, lifting ability and accuracy, first-person-view racing, and other events. Top competitors will be awarded various prizes, including cash and merchandise. Informational workshops and speeches of importance will occur during the two day event. Other sponsors will also be present to represent themselves, their products and their services, which may also be of great interest to attendees.
The festivities will conclude late Saturday afternoon with the presentation of the first annual Bridger Cup to the overall winner, a handsome trophy that will be accompanied by a $500 check and recognition as the first winner of the Bridger Cup.
Contacts: Mike Tragiai at Ascent Vision: (651) 332-0480; mike@ascentvision.com
Mark Jacobs at Mebox Media: (317) 418-6922; mjacobs@mebexmedia.com
Brit Fontenot at City of Bozeman: (406) 579-1302; bfontenot@bozeman.net
Robin Kendall at The Audience Awards: (406) 532-5396; robin@filmspur.com
John Ansotegui at Montana Film Office: (800) 553-4563: jansotegui@mt.gov
Edward Meier at Birds Eye of Big Sky: (406) 253-8103; ed@birdseyeofbigsky.com
Source: Press Release