Buttman flies again
2001-07-12 11:07
Grahamstown - There was mirth and amazement when a naked
sky-diver landed on the Grahamstown army's parade at 8am yesterday
morning.
Unfazed, the first words Port Elizabeth candidate attorney James
Reilly, 36, shouted to the 100-odd soldiers were: "Reporting for
action, Sir!".
Reilly jumped naked from 4 000m into minus 12 degree air as part of
radio station 5fm's Speed Stick Give-it-Stick competition for the
wackiest act.
He leapt from the plane wearing only a stick of the deodorant bound
with sticky tape to his penis.
Before the jump, a nervous but excited Reilly was seen running
around the EP Skydivers' clubhouse in the nude.
The naked Reilly climbed into a light plane at 7.15am and jumped 45 minutes later.
Speaking through gritted teeth, he said he endured a 50-second free
fall at 200km/h "to get down quicker. It's cold man!"
Although he said he was scared of landing barefoot on the gravel, ECN
witnessed his agony as he removed the plastic tape.
Mr Reilly yelled "Aaaaagh!" for almost 30 seconds as he stripped the
binding off, even though his wife Michelle had said playfully: "I'm
going to take that off!"
She said: "It's madness what people will do for a car."
Reilly was bidding to win a five-door Peugeot 206 sedan in the
Speedstick Give It Stick And Win a Car Competition.
5FM DJ Kevin Fine said one competitor had "a stick tatooed to her bum."
Mr Reilly will be admitted to the bar in the Grahamstown high court
on Thursday. - ECN