This post was written by Hatchet reporter Anna Hirt.

Students got a chance to create their own wings Saturday at a competition sponsored by Red Bull.

The Red Bull Paper Wings Worldwide Paper Plane Contest drew students to the Lerner Health and Wellness Center to build paper planes in hopes of winning a free trip to Austria.

Competitors were each given two throws to land their planes within the designated boundaries to qualify for the next round. Participants were required to fold their planes on-site with regulated paper and were not permitted to cut, staple or glue.

The event, held at more than 600 college campuses every year, came to GW for the first time Saturday.

The top five U.S. competitors for each category – the distance the planes traveled, airtime and aerobatics – win free trips to Austria to compete in Salzburg at Hangar 7, the Red Bull-owned hangar.

Though none of the participating students qualified for the Austria championship, many were optimistic.

“A trip to Austria sounded fun, and who doesn’t like paper airplanes?” participant Matt Knopf, a senior, said.

Most competitors learned of the event through Red Bull promoters stationed near the building’s entrance.

The Red Bull Paper Wings World Finals will take place on May 4 and 5 in Salzburg, Austria.