Every autumn, giant crowds—last year it was 886,037 people—head to New Mexico for the world’s largest hot-air balloon festival. The nine-day Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, which runs from October 5 through October 13 this year, is a sight to behold, with brightly colored balloons dotting the skies at daybreak. More than 650 talented balloon pilots perform airborne tricks. But if you don’t want to experience the airborne sights standing nose-to-elbow with thousands of other people in Balloon Fiesta Park, Corey Spoores has an alternative. With his business partner Michael Carney, he takes groups of no more than 10 people (along with two guides) out on the Rio Grande River to watch the balloons from the vantage point of a stand-up paddleboard (SUP). Click for article