Snow of a different kind swirled above Dunedin yesterday as the city welcomed the America’s Cup and the sailors who brought it home.
A helicopter hovered close to the roofs of buildings that surround the Octagon as the parade reached the city centre.
A helicopter crew member in an orange safety vest dumped white confetti from the aircraft’s open door, white rectangular pieces of paper that swirled and scattered under the machine’s spinning rotors as the crowd gathered below.
The parade to welcome 28 Team New Zealand members had been under a cloud as storms of rain and snow worked their way up the country.
But the weather held off, apart from a light mist of rain, as the team members acknowledged what the Dunedin City Council estimated was an 8000-strong crowd.
The team was ferried along George St from the Dental School to the Octagon in a fleet of utility vehicles, to what was initially was just the odd chorus of cheers and polite clapping.
Shop assistants peered from windows, here and there a New Zealand flag could be seen, and mobile phones were held high to document the event, as at least one Team New Zealand member reciprocated with a video camera.
But as the convoy reached the Octagon and the helicopter added a sense of occasion and excitement, the city’s residents came close to full voice.
Council staff members leaned from windows and crowded on to balconies to watch the parade.
And as the team lined up on a stage in the lower Octagon and held the cup high, the crowd packed in and voiced their approval as they enjoyed the show.
Mayor Dave Cull described the "incredible privilege and pleasure" he took from welcoming the team.
He said the win was a decade-long effort to arrive at yesterday’s celebration.
While the weather was bracing, "we’re basking in the reflected warmth of your victory".
Mr Cull’s mention of Dunedin companies associated with the win, Animation Research, Bison Group and YachtBot got almost as big a cheer as the sailors.
Team New Zealand manager Grant Dalton played to a local crowd with the tried and true method of complimenting Dunedin in no uncertain terms.
He said Team New Zealand had been to Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, but: "I don’t think we’ve heard as much noise as when we came here."
Dalton, too, pointed to the input of local companies, with a special mention for Animation Research’s Ian Taylor.
He ended his speech with a nod to the nationalism engendered by such a sporting win.
"At the heart of it we’re so incredibly proud to be New Zealanders."
