Glenelg Birdman Rally Relaunch?

[yousername]

Adelaide's Birdman Rally may fly again
David nankervis From: Sunday Mail (SA) February 20, 2010 10:04pm

Birdman Rally at Glenelg Beach. Ann Kernot of Urrbrae novelty section entrant in 1981.
Source: AdelaideNow

THOSE magnificent men in their mostly non-flying machines could be set to return to Glenelg next summer with the resurrection of the Birdman Rally.

It's not the only classic 1980s community event up for a retro revival, with the Milk Carton Regatta also being considered for a relaunch.

Meetings are being held by Holdfast Bay Council's Event Team to tackle the logistics of renewing the Birdman Rally, which attracted tens of thousands of spectators and was broadcast on television when it ran annually between 1975 and 1986.

Holdfast Bay Mayor Ken Rollond said the council would need to cover only the public liability insurance and safety costs to get the rally back to the Bay.

``If we can do that then I can't see any problem of it returning at all,'' Mr Rollond said yesterday. ``And if they can have a Birdman Rally in Melbourne (on the Yarra River as part of the annual March Moomba Festival) then I don't see why we can't we have one here.''

Police and council representatives met earlier this month to investigate a return of the rally and will meet again in April, with the refloating of the Milk Carton Regatta, held in the 1970s and `80s at the Patawalonga River, also on the agenda.

The original rally involved entrants building often elaborate flying contraptions - including mock fighter planes - and hurling themselves off the end of the Glenelg jetty, while the regatta saw competitors rowing boats made out of old milk cartons down the Pat.

The attraction of the events was as much about the outlandish craft created as it was the distance travelled most birdmen only managed to ``fly'' a few metres before crashing into the water, while many of the milk carton boats sank shortly after leaving the shore.

Local Liberal MP Duncan McFetridge said the original event was ``very popular'' with families who flocked to the Bay and provided a big cash injection into the local economy.

``The feedback I'm getting from the stakeholders and community is very positive and I'm 100 per cent sure the event will make a comeback, either at the end of the year or early next year,'' he said.

``And there is no reason the Milk Carton Regatta won't make a return either.''

TV celebrity Anne Wills remembered covering a couple of Birdman rallies, which she said were ``hugely popular'' for Channel 10.

``My heart was in my throat all the time watching those people jumping because I was worrying about their safety,'' Wills said yesterday.

``But it was huge in those days and if it was held in conjunction with something like the Adelaide Festival or Clipsal 500 I think it would be popular again because it's the type of thing South Australians really come out and support.''

The resurrection of the rally would come on the heels of the recent return of the Skyshow fireworks extravaganza, which is being held for the first time in four years at next month's Clipsal 500 race.

Royal Park resident Richard Egan is so keen to see the return of the rally and the regatta he has set up a Facebook support group called ``Petition to get back the Birdman Rally and the Milk Carton Regatta'' which now has almost 800 members.

``I remember growing up with these events; they were fun and cheap and very family orientated. I'd love to have my kids watch me dress as a clown and jump off the jetty or make a carton boat and take part in the regatta with them,'' the father of three said yesterday.

Demographer Bernard Salt said he wasn't surprised old fashioned community events such as the Skyshow and rally were making a comeback.

``People think back to their childhood and recognise these things were fun and want to enjoy them again,'' he said.

[Wayno]

i'm surprised by this, what with all the modern day "public liability" concerns.

Bring it on though!!

[Xaragmata]

A view of the 1980 Rally:




I don't recall anyone being seriously injured, but with jetty jumping normally banned as dangerous there must be risks.