Birdman Rally ©n.hewson
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This weekend crowds flocked to the famous Moomba Birdman Rally in Melbourne, Australia for a chance to flap, fly, and fall into the Yarra River.
The Rally (held off and on since 1976) invites participants with home-made gliders, hang gliders, human-powered aircraft or winged costumes to leap off the 4-meter tall Birdman platform and see who can fly the furthest.
This year it was Michael Paul’s no-frills basic aluminium wings that took the title. Paul flew 25 meters in his contraption before crashing into the Yarra River. He also raised more than $5000 for Water Aid–the most raised by any Birdman contestant this year.
It is the strange contestants that make the Birdman Rally such a hit with Moomba festival attendees.
This year memorable contestant Aaron Eidelson tore down the runway in a bridal gown and homemade pink plane after a fake wedding ceremony.
And the only female participant, Veronika Dragon, leapt 3m from the 4m-high platform after declaring her goal was simply, “to taste the river.”
Read more at news.com.au.