This is the terrifying moment a contestant somersaulted down a huge hill before slamming into the ground during an annual cheese rolling competition.
The man, who was dressed as a wizard, was attempting to break the course record for the fastest descent of Cooper’s Hill in Gloucestershire on Bank Holiday Monday.
It comes as photos from this year’s event show an air ambulance landing in a field nearby and another contestant being carried away on a stretcher.
Organisers were forced to call in rugby players to stop flying participants after the council banned the cheese-rolling event due to safety fears.
One local posted on X: ‘I’m 10 minutes from where this is. It’s technically [been] an official event for some time because the council banned it (safety).
‘So they get lads from the local rugby teams to tackle those who come down the hill.’
In the video, the man could be seen doing a cartoon-style flip down Cooper’s Hill in Brockworth before landing flat on his back.
Members of the crowd looked on in horror – but it is believed the man managed to escape without breaking any bones.
The man, who was dressed as a wizard, was attempting to break the course record for fastest descent at the event on Bank Holiday Monday
He could be seen doing a cartoon-style flip down Cooper’s Hill in Gloucestershire before landing flat on his back
A man is helped by a rugby player and medic after injuring himself during the race on Monday
Will Matthews, 23, spoke to the man who somersaulted down the hill before the start of the race.
The gardener from Thornbury, Gloucestershire, said according to The Sun: ‘He was dressed as a wizard and he said his name was Tye.
‘Apparently he was trying to break the record for the fastest descent.
‘I understand he was in the pub afterwards. There were a few people who had to go to hospital with injuries but he wasn’t one of them.’
Every year dozens of hardy racers hurtle down Cooper’s Hill at Brockworth in pursuit of a 7lb Double Gloucester cheese.
The renowned bank holiday tradition began as a small local event but now garners worldwide media attention.
The official competition was cancelled back in 2010 due to health and safety fears – but rebel cheese rollers have been staging their own unofficial event.
This year’s race prompted a safety warning from the local ambulance, police and fire services, who said they could be overwhelmed if there were ‘mass causalities’.
Members of the crowd looked on in horror – but it is believed the man managed to escape without breaking any bones
Photos showed a man being carried away from today’s cheese rolling on a stretcher
An air ambulance was seen landing in a nearby field on Monday during the race
But it went ahead as planned, with Tom Kopke, a 23-year-old YouTuber from Munich, retaining the title he won last year.
After taking an early lead and seeing the win through, he told the BBC: ‘I’ve never felt better in my life.
‘This year I just gave it everything I had – I just dashed forward and tried to get the win, and then I just blacked out.’
Mr Kopke, 23, added: ‘It was crazy. This year was different. Last year the hill was muddy and this year it was dry and dangerous and people got injured.
The second men’s race was won by Luke Preece, from Gloucester, who flew down the hill race dressed in a Superman costume.
He said afterwards: ‘I am absolutely buzzed, amazing – the adrenaline. My dad did it. I can’t believe it, it’s amazing.’
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.
The university student from London said: ‘This is my first time. I thought it was such a tradition, and I will probably feel it tomorrow. I can’t believe it, I can’t believe it.
One cheese pursuer in a Superman costume was among those toppling down the steep incline
Tom Kopke, from Munich in Germany, has won the opening men’s race for the second year running – he is pictured here celebrating his latest victory
Crowds gathered for the annual Cheese Rolling races at Cooper’s Hill in Brockworth
There was carnage on the course as racers hurtled after the 3kg Double Gloucester
‘”It felt quite long coming down and then I hit my head. I’m down, that’s what matters. I’m fine”.’
During the event, competitors chase the cheese down the 180m-high hill, with many tripping and tumbling on their way.
The first runners to catch the cheese, which can reach speeds of up to 70mph, are declared victors in various races across the event that dates back to the 1800s.
But competing is not without its risks – in 1993, 15 people were injured in the racing, four of them seriously hurt, and officials have ramped up warnings in recent years.
In 2009 and 2011 the race was cancelled over safety concerns but the event has continued unofficially, though the 2020 and 2021 versions were called off as a result of Covid-19 pandemic lockdown restrictions before a return in June 2022.
Long-time 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.
