Mudman

1996 - Stone Age Man meets Modern Age Technology

This picture best sums up the kind of atmosphere that exist on the top of the mountain during Bathurst. John Cleland once, in describing the mob at the top, said "They eat their young up there". It is a place where women are a rarity, but they do exist, but in order to survive the heckling and jeering from the males a female must dress down. In 1995 a great wave of sound was rising from Skyline all the way up to Reid Park. What was causing this? And then she came into view, a slim 20 something woman wearing a tight leather skirt and top, something which even the most diehard motor racing fan can not overlook even during the most important race of the year.

Another example of the bizarre occurances up top was in 1995 when a middle aged man, hairy back and all was prancing around in a frilly pink skirt and black undies. Strange, but acceptable comic relief.

In 1992 when the downpour brought an end to the race the paddock at McPhillamy Park resembled a warzone. There were bodies hunched over running everywhere, slipping over in the mud like fallen comrades, all the while continuing to dodge bodies in the hope of finding shelter.

Now to the mudman. In 1996 there was a great circle of bodies cheering on. But they were facing away from the track. Inside were two mudied gladiators, tired from battle but unwilling to stop. A fresh face sensing an easy kill jumped into the circle. At once the two tired combatants found a new lease of life and set upon the intruder. Within 30 seconds he was also muddied from head to toe.