Police tame rural nights of mayhem
Binge drinking, 'surfing' on car roofs and dragging people through pools of mud are out, while breathalyser tests, healthy breakfasts and condoms are in amid a radical revamp of one of Australia's most cherished institutions: the bachelor and spinster ball.
Each year thousands of young Australians don dinner jackets and evening gowns and flock to the 'B and S' balls, mostly held in rural areas, for a night of mayhem.
Popular pursuits include dragging people from the back of a 'ute' through a quagmire of mud - a practice known as 'tailgating' - and driving around in a tight circle in a haze of burned rubber and dust, called 'circle work'.
But a police-led taskforce has vowed to clean up the parties after one man died, crushed beneath a vehicle, and another suffered a broken back at recent events.
Under tough new licensing laws, event organisers must ensure there is one security guard for every 100 guests, limit the number of drinks a person can be served at the bar to two at a time and provide subsidised breakfasts at the end of the evening to mop up all the alcohol.
There are also voluntary breathalyser tests for those guests thinking of driving home, free condoms and a complete ban on car spinning.
'B and S balls are basically a drinkathon and a lot of people think the letters stand for beer and sex,' said Sergeant Garry Bowden, from the Southern Rivers region of New South Wales, which last year held 15 balls.
'They are a rural phenomenon and were started by jackeroos and jilleroos [male and female farm workers] who had nothing better to do.
'Some people may see us as killjoys but we are just trying to make sure that the balls are safe and people don't get hurt. These licensing conditions make them far more manageable.'
Most balls are held in the summer and can attract as many as 2,800 party-goers, with the proceeds going to charity.
Many ball organisers say that without the clampdown on wild behaviour, the balls would fold.
