More than 4000 people turned out for Russell's Birdman Festival on Saturday, a record for the six-year-old event which was this year won by Russell GP Ian Birch.
Dr Birch's five previous, ingenious attempts had failed to net him even a booby prize, so he was delighted to break his hoodoo by winning the 2012 supreme title for his Birdman Wizard entry.
Ironically this time he had entered as himself in the year 2044, pushing a Zimmer frame, while his wife Rachel performed a song to the tune of Pinball Wizard that detailed the doctor's Birdman exploits every year since the festival began - previous entries include The Thunderbirds, a hot air balloon, a flying carpet and Mary Poppins - and lamented his "zero wins to date".
"I feel like I've been waiting for this forever," Dr Birch said as the winners were named on Saturday evening.
The festival is held over three days every winter and features a gender-bending drag race, spaghetti-eating competitions, a barbecue cook-off, dinghy races and paper-plane-flying contests, culminating in the Birdman jump in which contestants have to leap the greatest distance - or in the most original manner - from the end of Russell Wharf.
In past years originality was rewarded above all, but the greatest-distance stakes were raised this year with a $1000 prize.
Three contestants passed the five-metre mark but a 7.5m jump by Aucklander Lucas Kale, part of the Russell Civil Defence entry, earned him the cash and the inaugural Ultimate Flying Challenge title.
Fellow Aucklander John Ashley built the most elaborate flying machine - a MacGyver Glider with a 4.5m-wingspan constructed from "a garden pergola, string, tape, a ballpoint pen, a bit of canvas and a lot of hope" - but flew no further than the more decorative cardboard and clingfilm entries.
The glider's short flight prompted MC Pete Gentil to say: "So much effort, so little distance."
The number of entries was down on last year and former Russell resident and Supreme Birdman 2010-11, Jason "Caveman" Bye, did not return to defend his title. The crowd, however, was well up on previous years.
Co-organiser Toni Ball put Saturday's 4000-plus turnout down to near-perfect weather and wider advertising.
Next year's Birdman would continue the new emphasis on distance and offer a $2500 top prize, sponsorship permitting.
"That will give some more incentive," she said.
The event had "absolutely" achieved the goals of its founders six years ago, Mrs Ball said. "Our idea was originally to give us something to do in winter and increase business in the quiet winter months ...
"Now we have some businesses who say this is their busiest day of the year."
So big were the crowds that the queue for the ferry on Saturday afternoon stretched the length of the wharf and along the Strand as far as the Duke of Marlborough.
Winners