The idea of a perfect spring bank holiday for most of us involves lazing around at home and barely lifting a finger. For a select number of daredevils flocking to Gloucestershire, however, the day is spentchasing a wheel of cheese down a hill.
The annual tradition, thought to date back to 1826, sees competitors sprint, trip and tumble down Cooper’s Hill near Brockworth to try to win an 8lb wheel of double gloucester.
The cheese is given a head start of a few seconds and is said to roll down the hill at about 70mph. The cheese is chased 200 yards (182 metres) down the 1:2 gradient hill. The first person to the bottom wins the cheese.
Among this year’s winners were a YouTuber and university student raising money for refugees and homeless people.
The recent dry spell of weather made the racetrack harder, slower and more dangerous for the competitors who were cheered on by thousands of supporters.
The German YouTuber Tom Kopke, 23, from Munich, was the winner of the first men’s downhill race, retaining the title he won last year.
“It was crazy. This year was different,” he said. “Last year the hill was muddy and this year it was dry and dangerous and people got injured.
“I shut off my brain and went for it. All the people at the top said they were going to steal my title but this is mine. I worked for this. I risked my life for this. It’s my cheese. Back to back.”
Longtime cheese-maker Rod Smart, who has produced cheese for the chase for more than 25 years, once again provided the wheels for this year’s event.
Four cheeses weighing about 3kg each and three smaller ones, weighing about 1.5kg, are used.
The women’s race was won by Ava Sender Logan, 20, who was racing for the Refugee Community Kitchen, which supports displaced people in northern France and homeless people in London and Edinburgh.
“This is my first time,” the university student from London said. “I thought it was such a tradition, and I will probably feel it tomorrow.
“I can’t believe it, I can’t believe it. It felt quite long coming down and then I hit my head. I’m down, that’s what matters. I’m fine.”
The second men’s race was won by Luke Preece, from Gloucester, who flew down the hill dressed in a Superman costume. “I am absolutely buzzed, amazing … the adrenaline,” he said afterwards. “My dad did it, I can’t believe it, it’s amazing.”
The final men’s downhill race was won by Byron Smith, 33, from New Zealand, who had to settle for second place last year. “It feels great, yeah,” he said. “I did it last year and came second in my heat and I thought I could do it this year and I did.”
Since 2010, the event has been staged unofficially after health and safety fears caused the official competition to be cancelled when more than 15,000 people turned up to watch the 2009 competition.
Since then, it has been held with the police keeping a watchful eye.Local roads have been closed up to two-and-a-half miles around the slope.
In 2013, the wheel of cheese was replaced with a lightweight foam version over safety fears but, the next year, the real deal returned for good.
The origin of the competition is unknown. Some believe it came from claiming grazing rights on the common and land around Cooper’s Hill; others think it could have been a fertility ritual.
The popularity of the contest has boomed in recent years, with competitors and TV crews travelling from around the world. The BBC has even livestreamed the races, with the broadcaster sometimes having to apologise for the ripe language spluttered at the adrenaline-fuelled event.