Flirting on the Ferris Wheel

What Cupid Had to Deal With at Speed Dating

Dani and Markus tried their luck—whether sparks flew remains their secret.(Bild: Markus Wenzel)

The gondolas were ready, and so were the singles—at least almost all of them. On “Valentine’s Day,” two age groups ventured out in search of a partner and approached getting to know each other with plenty of humor. Amid casual banter, new acquaintances, and the hope of a reunion, however, a curious scene unfolded—one the organizers likely hadn’t anticipated.

Cupid could hardly have chosen better weather for his mission. Blue skies, bright sunshine, and a spectacular view of the Urfahranermarkt: On Monday, the Ferris wheel once again became the city’s most unusual dating spot. On “Love Day,” singles went in search of partners at lofty heights.

A Surprising Division of Roles
There was a new twist right from the start this time: For the first time, flirting took place in two age groups. The 36- to 50-year-olds kicked things off—and an interesting pattern emerged there. While the ratio of men to women had been fairly even among the registrants, it seems some gentlemen may have gotten cold feet at the last minute. In any case, there was a clear surplus of women at the actual meetup. Among the 20- to 35-year-olds, it was later exactly the opposite: here, the men were in the majority.

“At least you can ride the Ferris wheel otherwise”
That didn’t dampen the mood, though. Dani (46) from Hörsching and Markus (42) from Eferding got to know each other during a group outing and took things in a pleasantly laid-back manner. Neither of them had come with overly high expectations anyway. Their shared motto: “If it’s not that exciting, at least you can ride the Ferris wheel.”

“Online dating is exhausting.”
The fact that looking for a partner online isn’t for everyone was another reason to give it a try high above the fairgrounds. Former classmates Sonja and Philipp embarked on this dating adventure together. “Online dating is tedious and exhausting. This way, you can get to know someone in person without any hassle,” Sonja explained.

Second Try
For Melanie and Benjamin, however, speed dating was nothing new. The two coworkers were hoping once again for Cupid’s help. “We were there last time, too, but unfortunately it didn’t work out,” they said as they gave it another shot.

Did that famous spark fly?
The concept remained simple this time as well: jump in, get to know each other, chat for a few minutes—and then move on to the next person. Whether that famous spark actually flew anywhere remains to be seen. In any case, it certainly wasn’t due to the weather. With sunshine, blue skies, and a ride together on the Ferris wheel, Cupid had the best possible setting this time.