Bognor Birdman
The history relating to the Bognor Birdman event is that it first started on the South coast of Britain in Selsey in 1971,
where a prize was given for anyone who could fly the grand distance of 50 yards. Nobody managed it! After a few years
the event started to attract quite a crowd and in 1978 the term Bognor Birdman
was coined when the event moved to its present location in Bognor Regis. Why Bognor Regis is open to debate - perhaps it was some forward thinking person at the local council - perhaps it's because the sea has a strong incoming tide to help bring people back to the beach, perhaps it is because one of the original competitors came from Bognor, it certainly isn't because Bognor is an easy place to get to. Anyway, the event has evolved and gets ever more popular. Every
year a collection of brave daring men and women dress up in bizarre outfits and
become Bognor Birdmen. These Birdmen of Bognor Regis compete against one another by trying to fly through the air the furthest. However some people would say
that the Bognor Birdmen are just a bunch of nutters jumping off the end of a pier who end up
getting cold and wet when they land in the sea.
 
Bognor Birdmen
The event gets bigger and bigger every year so much now that the, ahem, "organisers" at
the ludicrously named Arun District Council restrict the numbers of Bognor
Birdmen taking part! However local government workers cannot stop people having fun.
Today the Bognor Birdman event is very popular and has a tremendous following with many nationalities taking part and the whole Bognor Birdman event
attracts media interest from all around the world. Many spectators
go along for a day out in the sunshine (if they're lucky, as the Bognor Regis weather is often rainy) and the pleasure of seeing people jump off a
pier. The Bognor Birdman spectators also witness a number of 'professionals' who
make quite an effort at seriously trying to fly! These brave souls are normally
unhitched extreme sports types and/or experienced hang gliding types who generally
don't mind having their hang glider get trashed when it crashes into the sea!
 
The Bognor Birdman event also attracts serious international competitors and in 1984 German Harold
Zimmer flew 57.8 metres and walked away with £10,000 so it's not all totally
batty! In fact, during the 1980s the event was dominated by the Germans and by 1990 the
record stood at an incredible 71 metres. Also in 1990 the Germans took 1st, 2nd and 3rd places.
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These days if anyone "flies" 100 metres, the prize is a cool £25,000 - about 40,000 US Dollars !
Although Carl Christensen made a valiant attempt in 1999, and won the prize for best fancy dressed Bognor Birdman, his magic flying carpet stalled so he did not fly too far - something like 5 metres, so he was some way short of the record distance. The current unbroken record which stands at a staggering 89.2 metres, was set in 1992 by a local lad, Dave Bradshaw.
 
Bognor Birdman 2009
Bognor Birdman 2009 could be the biggest ever, and lets hope the local Arun District council do not try and wiggle out of staging the event, as they did in 2008, citing ludicrous PC reasons. As the popularity of the event has spread, more people want to come and watch and see who will win Bognor Birdmen 2009 especially with a non event in 2008. Of course, everyone who takes part will have fun, and as the cliche goes, everyone will be a winner at Bognor Birdman 2009 or as now seems likely Bognor Birdman 2010. The event will be popular for the spectators, the competitors, their friends, families and assorted hangers on.
   
Bognor Birdman Competition
If you are considering being a competitor, please bear in mind it isn't really a competition in the normal sense of the word. Sure there will be a winner, so it is a competition, but none of the Bognor Birdman taking part are truly competitive when it comes to wanting to win the event. Most people taking part in the Bognor Birdman competition are well meaning folks, trying to do their bit for charirty, and have no intention of winning the competition. They are doing it primarily for fun. That is not to say that people taking part are not competitive, it's more that they are fun loving nutters. Bognor is now more famous for its Bognor Birdman competition than the local Butlins.
 
International Bognor Birdman
The event has now got so popular, it has gone international, with competitors from many different countries eager to take part and entertain the crowds of up to 25,000. Most of the International Bognor Birdmen will be jumping for charity from the pier at Bognor Regis. Every year feathers fly as birdmen from around the world compete for the title of International Bognor Birdman. There have been all sorts of International Birdman entries iover the years ncluding a flying tardis from Dr Who, a skateboarding cow and even a chicken and mushroom pie. Historical note - the first Bognor Birdman was not international - as competitors such as Mary Poppins, Peter Pan and a naked man called John were all British, but now International Bognor Birdmen come from throughout the world.
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