Wow, it’s been over a month since we’ve posted any Ostrich News but to be honest, pickings were slim. It’s summer (the end of) so maybe everyone and their ostrich related antics were off on vacation somewhere.

Today’s Ostrich Google News search turned up the 2009 Worthing Birdman Competition, a contest where humans compete for distance as they jump off Worthing Pier in homemade flying machines, or dressed up in crazy insane costumes. You can bet your feathers that one of those costumes was an ostrich suit. You can learn more about the history of The Birdman here.

Over 50 competitors vied for the $50,000 prize which would be awarded to the flyer who could coast over 100m. No one made it that far. Steve Elkins however, broke a long-standing record by sailing 99.8m in a modified hang glider. Well, you don’t get much closer than that, but with thousands of spectators and thousands of dollars raised for charity, The Worthing 2009 Birdman event was a success.

Getting back to the whole point of our Ostrich News post. On Saturday, the Serious Flyers took their shot at the prize. On Sunday, the Fun Flyers mostly plummeted off the pier in their various get-ups, most of which are so not conducive to flight, but so much fun to watch as they nose dive into the sea. Ian Usher took the leap in an Ostrich Suit which you can see ever so briefly in this video. Ian’s jump is around the 1:15 mark:

Of note, Ian Usher was in the news last year when he auctioned off his entire life on eBay. What constitutes a life in the 21st century? The winning bidder got Ian’s 3 bedroom house and everything in it including his Mazda, jet ski, and motorcycle. Also on the table was his job and his friends. All this for a cool £192,276.

Aside from jumping off of piers in Ostrich attire, Ian now travels the world in search of adventure. Check out Ian’s blog here: