After a year of postponements, Red Bull has announced its famous flying event is back, with Flugtag now taking place on Saturday, December 10.
Members of the public are encouraged to join Red Bull for a (free!) day of highly anticipated and high-adrenaline action at Auckland's Wynyard Quarter.
It marks the first time that Flugtag, the German word for 'flight day', will be hosted at Wynyard Quarter, situated on the Waitematā Harbour at the edge of Auckland's waterfront.
As the translation suggests, Flugtag is a day of flying – kind of. The event challenges the likes of aspiring engineers and pilots from around the world to fulfill their dream of flying. First they construct their flying machine, then they take a leap of faith - or, as is more often the case, a plunge into the waters below. The first Flugtag took flight in 1992 in Vienna, Austria and has been held in the city - along with multiple others worldwide - annually ever since.
On Saturday, over 30 teams will be launching homemade flying machines off a six-metre-high ramp, attempting to fly as far as possible before landing in the ocean below. While some crafts fly, most flop - making it an entertaining spectacle for attendees.
With organisers anticipating crowds of up to 15,000, Flugtag - which is free to attend - is expected to be one of the biggest public events to kickstart summer.
Judged on pre-flight performance, creativity and distance flown, the triumphant team will be awarded $15,000. Second place wins $10,000, and third place gets $5000 - so there's something for everyone.
Motorsport icon and Red Bull athlete, Mike Whiddett - AKA, Mad Mike - has been named as one of the judges at this year's Flugtag, joining a panel of esteemed colleagues including social media star Johnny Tuivasa-Sheck, local rapper JessB, Mai FM radio host Tegan Yorwarth, and downhill mountain biker Brook MacDonald
"It's going to be an epic day out. After the last couple of years, I am super excited to see the city come alive for a hilarious and entertaining event," Mad Mike said in a statement.
"We all know how innovative Kiwis can be, so I am pumped to see what this year's teams bring to the table. Especially considering that contestants have had an additional few months on the tools. I wouldn't be surprised if we see some of the best crafts in Red Bull Flugtag history."
Ahead of the event this weekend, the panel of celebrity judges have been busy determining what they will be looking for on the day. As part of their role, they will not only be considering the distance travelled by each of the teams' creations, but also the inventiveness and artistic flair of their crafts.
Earlier this year, Red Bull set an ambitious distance to beat. In January, All Blacks' fly-half and fullback, Beauden Barrett, kicked a rugby ball from the Red Bull Flugtag launch spot, which was measured at 55 metres - setting an impressive target for contestants.
"There are some pretty epic Red Bull Flugtag crafts taking shape, so I am excited to see if any have what it takes to go further than my kick," Barrett said in January.
"Kiwis are not famous for flying, but I reckon we have the ingenuity to set some pretty decent distances and maybe even take out the Red Bull Flugtag world record."
This year's teams shouldn't just 'wing it' however, as the 55-metre kick isn't the only distance to beat. The Red Bull Flugtag world record for the longest distance sits at 78.6 metres, set by a team called 'The Chicken Whisperers' in Long Beach, California, in 2013.
Spectators can expect to see Kiwi ingenuity in full force, witnessing our national bird attempt to fly with team 'Kiwiwingding'; see cardboard be put to good use with 'Fabulous Men in their Paper Machine'; and even see a UFO (Useless Flying Object) with their own eyes.
The public is encouraged to come down to Wynyard Quarter to witness the Flugtag action live. The first craft will be taking flight at 12pm, and those not in Auckland can get in on the carnage too by tuning into the livestream.
