Social media royalty will take to the skies at Birdman

The annual South West Birdman competition is welcoming some well-known faces from social media this year as TikTok’s famous Smithy Family hurl themselves off Ilfracombe Pier.

The Smithy Family, who have a TikTok following of more than 3.5 million people, have recently moved to North Devon and are eager to embed themselves within the local community.

And what better way to endear yourself to the locals than by flying – or falling gracefully – into the icy harbour waters at the Round Table Birdman Competition, which takes place on Saturday, July 30.

The Smithy Family hit fame when their amusing antics during lockdown earned them a loyal following on TikTok.

Dad Nick Smith said: “We’ve just moved to this beautiful part of the world and one of the first things we saw advertised was the Round Table Birdman competition.

“We’d seen the event on social media before and it looks great fun – so we thought we’d have a go and chuck ourselves in.

“As well as having a bit of fun, the event also raises money for local charities and worthy causes so we wanted to do our bit.”

The 2022 Round Table Birdman contest is set to be the biggest and best yet – with a £5,000 grand prize on offer for the team that can fly the furthest over 50 metres.

The free festival on Ilfracombe Pier will feature a full day of live music from the likes of Lazy Habits, Andy Quick, The Rasscals, Jenna Witts and James Spencer.

The day-long event will also boast a beer and cider bar, Mojito and spirits shack, gourmet coffee bar, food village, craft and trade stalls, bouncy castles, axe throwing, a climbing wall and loads of free family entertainment.

Joel Cooper, chairman of Ilfracombe Round Table which organises the event, said: “We are stoked to have the Smithy Family at this year’s event. They are always game for a laugh and have a huge following on social media, so they should be able to spread the word about Birdman and all the good work it helps fund in the community.

“I’ve been involved in Birdman for over 20 years now and I can honestly say I have never been as excited about an event as I am about this year’s contest.

“We are putting up a £5,000 prize for the furthest flight over 50 metres this year, so we are expecting some really good flying machines to enter and attempt to scoop the cash.

“I’m also really excited about all the entertainment we have on offer this year. The live music stage has one of the strongest line-ups in the event’s history, including London hip-hip act Lazy Habits, Andy Quick, who is fresh form playing at this year’s Glastonbury Festival, and loads of amazing local acts such as The Rasscals, Jenna Witts, James Spencer and many more.

“But there’s not just live music on offer – come down and try your hand at axe-throwing, rock climbing or hurling balls at our retro coconut shy. There’s plenty on offer for kids with trampolines, bouncy castles and all manner of other entertainment.

“Adults can also relax with a Utopian beer, Sam’s Cider or freshly mixed Mojito at the bar – not to mention sampling cuisine from around the world at our food village.

“We put this completely free event on for the good of the town and local business – but we simply couldn’t do it without the support of our kind sponsors. We’d like to say a huge thank you to headline sponsors Ilfracombe Holiday Park as well as Webbers Estate Agent, Jewson, The Techout, Howdens and Havana Coffee.

“It’s going to be the best year yet, make sure you are there.”

The Round Table Birdman contest takes place at Ilfracombe Pier from midday to 10pm on Saturday, July 30. For more details visit: ilfracombebirdman.co.uk

The Smithy Family is a comedy TikTok account that consists of dad Nick, mum Jess and their children. The couple have two daughters together, six year old Amelia and nine year old Isabella, plus a young baby.

Who are the Smithy Family?

Nick also has a son, 13 year old Ben, and Jess’ half brother, 16 year old Jack and his girlfriend Amy, are both also regular characters in their videos.

The account began as a few videos documenting family life in lockdown and has since grown to 2.8 million followers and nearly 3 million likes across the videos.

The account became so popular that dad Nick decided to give up his day job as a builder so he could focus full time on TikTok content.