Birdman Festival draws a crowd
Rain, chilly temperatures and the lowest tide in many years failed to dampen the creativity or enthusiasm of a dozen teams in this year’s Birdman jump.
The highlight of Russell’s mid-winter Birdman Festival, the jump sees teams attempt to leap from the end of Russell wharf in the most entertaining or original way possible.
With perverse timing a squall swept in just before the jump started at 2pm on Saturday, and the rain eased just after the last contestants had braved the bitterly cold water.
The drop from the end of the wharf was the highest in many years thanks to an unusually low tide.
This year’s supreme winner was Russell skipper Tim Grant, who has entered every Birdman but one since the event started in 2007 to lure visitors to Russell in the quiet winter months.
Grant’s costume, dubbed Plastic Wrapper, was made by Russell designer Sandra Thompson from discarded fishing line and netting to resemble a gannet tangled in trash.
His jump was accompanied by a rap about the threat to marine wildlife posed by plastic waste. Grant donated his $500 winnings to Russell Recylers.
Organisers Anika Whapshott and Steph Godsiff of Blah Blah Marketing said Saturday’s weather was disappointing but they estimated 3500 people had turned out regardless.
A notable feature of this year’s festival was the large number of spectators and participants who had travelled long distances, from Auckland and Whanga¯rei in particular but also as far away as Southland.
“Amazing” stilt walkers from Auckland circus company Highly Flammable had contributed to the carnival-like atmosphere, Whapshott said.
This year’s festival was compressed into two days instead of the usual three and started earlier, on Friday morning.
It featured the usual drawcards such as the genderbending drag race (high heels and handbags compulsory) and Fred Dagg dash on Friday evening, spaghetti eating, a Corflute boat-building challenge, and a wok cook-off. New attractions this year included animal rides, a circus workshop and blind taste testing contest.
Radio presenter Angela “Flash” Gordon, one of the festival MCs, told the crowd gathered in the Duke Tavern for prizegiving that 2018 was one of the most creative years yet in terms of costumes and performances on the wharf, “even if the weather was rubbish”.
Results
Supreme Birdman: Tim Grant/Russell Recyclers, Plastic Wrapper, Russell; most innovative design: Pania Sigley and Maryanne Hooson, Yellow Submarine, Russell; Crowd favourite: Daya and Jahnu Rosemeyer, Dave and Jane Go Bonkers, Golden Bay; cleverest craft: Blast Taniwha, Kerikeri; best stage show: Project Island Song, Russell/Auckland. Drag race winner: Paul “Shazza” McBride, Auckland; Fred Dagg dash: Jules “Bazza” Mills, Auckland.
■ More Birdman photos, page 12-13 A previous contestant in the Kerikeri International Piano Competition, Auckland-born Lorelle McNaughton, and her Spanish teacher Marta Zabaleta, will perform Spanish and French music at the Turner Centre on Friday at 7.30pm.
After graduating from the University of Auckland as a top scholar, McNaughton moved to Sydney to continue her studies and specialise in Spanish piano music, later furthering her studies at the Academia Marshall in Barcelona. She studied in Spain and France with some of the greatest living interpreters of Spanish music, including Zabaleta and Albert Attenelle.
She currently resides in Barcelona, where she is undertaking a Master of Spanish Music degree at the Marshall Academy with the support of scholarships from Creative New Zealand and the AMP Foundation.
A highly celebrated concert pianist, Zabaleta has performed with many of the best orchestras around the world. Her recordings include the works of Joaqu´ın Rodrigo, recorded by EMI, and she has recently released two albums, Goyescas and El Pelele , by Granados, and works for cello and piano by Rachmaninov and Franck.
Zabaleta, who is recognised for her experience in piano pedagogy, is currently Professor of Piano at Musikene, the Higher Academy of Music of the Basque Country.