Boards games. Safety seats. Tie-less shoelaces. If variety is the spice of life, then the Ronald Reagan Building was filled with flavor on Sunday afternoon at auditions for "American Inventor."
Some 300 inventors (left), along with their family and friends, waited in line for hours to check in for "American Inventor" auditions on Sunday morning. "American Idol" producer Simon Cowell made a number of media stops to promote the new show, which is expected to follow "Idol"s nationwide success. People lined up as early as 3:00 a.m. to secure an early spot for the interviews, which began at 9:30 a.m.
Star Christian of Plano, Texas (upper center) anxiously awaited registration for her inventions: a boot heater and a jewelry armoire. Christian said her family was very supportive of her choice to fly to Washington for the auditions, which she heard about on ABC's daytime talk show, The View.
Noel Quitangua (lower center) prepared his invention as audition time neared. Quitangua traveled 16 hours from the Northern Mariana Islands, which lie halfway between Hawaii and the Philippines. An inventor all his life, he jumped at the chance to present his creation. A friend in California financed Quintangua's trip because of the inventor's vision and persistence. Quintangua is also a museum curator at the Common Wealth Museum of the Mariana Islands for History and Culture.
Like Quitangua's ore-like creation, inventions were unique, ranging from beer bottle caddies (right) to bubble wrap-filled exercise mats. Jeanine Policelli of Morristown, New Jersey invented the "Hop 'N Pop" exercise mat in response to childhood obesity. Children enjoyed the bubble wrap popping sound as they also received an athletic workout, said Policelli.
While all contestants hoped to win the $1 million prize, some were simply seeking exposure. Mike Bower of Lock Haven, Pennsylvania believed the judges were looking for an individual with mass appeal and said the long morning would be worthwile as long as his product received some exposure.
