25-05-2025
Medieval battle: 4 Aussies win $50k free flights in LARP battle in honour of Jetstar's 21st birthday
Aussies have stormed a quiet neighbourhood park in medieval get-up in an epic battle to win $50k worth of free flights.
Eight contestants chosen from the ultimate costume contest geared up to compete in a Live Action Role Play (LARP) event 'Knight of the Skies' in a bid to win a free trip, or a few, in celebration of Jetstar's 21st birthday.
The eight were split into two teams, Team Jet and Team Star – to wield battle alongside long-time LARP warriors from Australia's largest LARPing organisation, Swordcraft.
With $50k worth of free flights on the line, no one held back, and insane battle scenes roared out on the quiet Saturday morning.
Puzzles, politics, and full on battle all ensued in the crisp Melbourne air at Edinburgh Garden, North Fitzroy as the LARPers fought it out.
People were pommeled to the ground, hit over the head with swords, kicked and punched – all in the name of good old medieval fun.
They will be split into two teams to wield battle alongside long-time LARP warriors from Australia's largest LARPing organisation, Swordcraft.
Australian comedian and radio star Liam Stapleton is playing the role of Jetstar birthday host and LARP wizard himself, joining in on the action this Saturday.
'The folks from Jetstar reached out and look, it's not too far from a stretch, like I dress up and chase my wife around as Shrek and that sort of stuff on the weekend, so I've never done LARPing before though, but I felt like I was the right man for the job,' Stapleton told NewsWire.
Radio and TV star Stapleton said impressions and role-play have been a big part of his career.
'It's something I've done like since I was a kid … and it's led to fun opportunities like this. Like now I'm dressed as a wizard in a park speaking to you.'
The event centres around 21 being the age of knighthood in medieval times, and everyone is dressed the part with knights, fire mages, goblins, alchemists and everything in between.
'When you work in radio, you are always afraid of the axe. But this is, you know, today I'm afraid of real axes because people have that sort of weaponry,' Stapleton said.
If he wins, Stapleton said he would love to fly to Japan.
'Top of the list. Yeah. It's somewhere I've always wanted to go … I've heard cherry blossom season is the time, it's literally like the top of my wife's and myself's bucket list. So that's where I'd love to go.'
But Stapleton is not sure about his chances of winning.
'Look, I'm an optimistic man, but there is some genuine giants.
'There's some people who are like dressers giants and there's other people who are like, no, you are actually seven foot.
'There's some intimidating looking figures with proper armour. I'm wearing basically a dressing gown. So I don't know how we're going to go.'
Stapleton did not win – Team 'Jet' emerged victorious, and four lucky winners won the ultimate $50k prize – Genevieve Maisey, Cameron Riches, Nicole Brownlie and Julian Dods.
Either way, Swordcraft head of advertising Lou Harwood is glad more people got to take part in LARPing and hopes the contestants enjoyed the medieval role-play.
'The rush you get when you're in combat is like nothing else. So if they even if they don't win, if they just come away, just feeling excited, having had given it a go, that's a win in our books,' she told NewsWire.
'I've really found my chosen family in this crew. And I wouldn't give them up for anything in the world.
'We're so grateful for the opportunity to show off lap to the wider community and get people to see how much fun it can be.'
