In the first jet suit race in history, real-life “superheroes” fly.

Dubai has a history of bizarre, amazing and downright wacky invention, ranging from futuristic architecture to pioneering infrastructure. But on Wednesday, the “City of Superlatives” went full sci-fi when eight pilots and dressed as Marvel’s “Iron Man” took to the sky.

But super villains and extraterrestrial warlords were not what they faced. The inaugural Jet Suit Race Series was arranged by the Dubai Sports Council and Gravity Industries the jet suit’s creators and included skyscrapers and super yachts as the backdrop for the aerial athletes’ competition.

The eight pilots navigated 12 enormous inflatable obstacles positioned in the water as they raced around a one-kilometer (0.6-mile) circuit. Each race lasted approximately ninety seconds with a leader board being established after four heats and a final round.

“We had people getting disqualified we had people losing it we had somebody go in the water. We had just utter chaos in a great way,” Browning said.

He believes that the occasion will encourage ambitious dreams among the upcoming generation of scientists and engineers “Most technology seems absurd and unattainable until it doesn’t.”

Gravity’s technology combines five engines a huge one on the back and two “micro jet engines” on each arm in a 3D-printed polymer, aluminum and titanium suit capable of lifting a human into the air. Browning likens the 1,700-horsepower jet suit to “the power of a Bugatti Veyron” sports car in a 30-kg (66-pound) backpack.

Pilots control their flight route by changing the direction of their arms such as pointing them down to fly up or lifting them to the side to go down. The jet suit runs on aviation gasoline or diesel and can reach speeds of up to 136 km/h (85 mph) according to Browning’s own record.

Risk is inherent in any adrenaline activity. Gravity compares jet suit crashes to falling off a motorcycle and it flies low to the ground over water or grass to reduce risk.

Browning believes that the showcase is only the beginning of the sport. Gravity intends to stage a championship in Dubai next year with at least 12 contestants which Browning thinks “spark the imagination” of individuals and cities all around the world about the possibilities of this technology.