The Xbox Water Balloon Challenge saw more than 2900 gamers convene on the beaches of Sydney, Australia to celebrate last month's launch of the Xbox 360. Some 50,000 water balloons were tossed by the worldwide crowd, matching the sell-through figure of Xbox 360's in the Australian region.

Pics of the event are up at the official site, with teeny-tiny snaps of all the participants and a few of the lovely Xbox Cheerleaders. I'm sure Joel will have much more to say about the event when he returns, so keep your eye on our WBC 360 coverage for more.

Australia and Xbox Break World Water Balloon Record

About 50,000 water balloons are thrown to celebrate the record-breaking launch of the Xbox 360 console in Australia.

SYDNEY, Australia — April 22, 2006 — More than 2,900 gamers from around the world staged the world's largest water balloon event in Australia today. The Water Balloon Challenge, held on Sydney's Coogee Beach, celebrated the record-breaking launch of the Xbox 360 console in Australia and raised money for a local lifesaving group.

About 50,000 water balloons, the same number of Xbox 360 consoles that have been sold in the country since the launch on March 23, 2006, were thrown by participants. Gamers traveled from as far away as Asia, Europe, Latin America and the United States to take part in the event.

"It was absolutely crazy when the balloons started flying — there was so much water I should have worn scuba gear," said Niels Keurentjes of the Netherlands. "I flew thousands of miles to get here, but I wouldn't have missed it for the world."

The previous world record for a water balloon event was held by 2,677 Spaniards after the record was set in 2005.

"This was a great chance for us to do something fun for all those thousands of Australians who helped make the Xbox 360 launch such a success," said David McLean, regional director of Xbox Australia and New Zealand at Microsoft. "It was a great chance for everyone to jump in and remember the joy and fulfillment that comes from playing games of any kind."

The Water Balloon Challenge had a serious side as well. Five dollars from every registration fee was donated to the Coogee Surf Lifesaving Club to assist in its ongoing patrol of the famous Coogee Beach.

"There is nothing more Australian than coming together to play on the beach," said Rob Yelon from Coogee Surf Lifesaving Club. "Today's event was a massive success, and the proceeds donated from Xbox will be used to upgrade our lifesaving training facilities and replacement of critical lifesaving equipment."

Participants can access images from the event at http://www.xbox.com.au.

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