Their 18-13 defeat of the tournament's most successful side enabled the Reds to join the Brumbies class of 2001 and 2004 among Australia's Super rugby elite after wrecking the Crusader's goal of honouring their earthquake traumatised supporters back home in Christchurch with an eighth title.
Captain Richie McCaw made mention of those still suffering in the aftermath of the quake-ravaged city after the match: "Hopefully we've done you proud and put a bit of a smile on your face. Every time we take the field we do it for you guys and I know there's some tough times at home but the way we stick together will see us through in the end."
A performance inspired by Will Genia avenged a semifinal loss to the Crusaders at Ballymore in 1999; the Reds made the top four again two years later and then the downward spiral began.
The Reds' first title of the professional era was also a personal triumph for head coach Ewen McKenzie, the World Cup-winner who endured two final defeats in Christchurch when in charge of the NSW Waratahs.
After six years mired in the bottom three of the competition, McKenzie guided the team to fifth in his first season in charge - this campaign exceeded all expectations.
While the pre-match hype revolved around the duel between Quade Cooper and Daniel Carter it was Wallabies halfback Genia who proved the point of difference.
Despite being hassled at the tail of an under pressure scrum and breakdown throughout a brutal contest he made two critical incisions when granted clear air to make the Crusaders pay the ultimate price for two bombing two try-scoring opportunities.
The usually clinical Crusaders displayed the nerves and inaccuracy normally associated with first-time finalists when a potential 14 points went begging early in the second half.
A minute after the restart Sean Maitland could have become the competition's leading try-scorer but a 10th touchdown went begging when he could not control a Robbie Fruean pass with the line open 25-metres away.
Five minutes later Brad Thorn ignored a five on one overlap to power for glory but was held up by Radike Samo amid a mass of bodies.
Carter goaled a penalty when the resulting 5-metre scrum collapsed but the Reds made the Crusaders pay for their poor finishing when Digby Ioane scythed past Sonny Bill Williams and Tom Marshall after Genia made the most of a box kick from counterpart Andy Ellis.
Genia linked with his sidekick Cooper who set the unstoppable Ioane on course for the uprights.
Cooper's conversion put the Reds up 13-10 momentarily before Carter's penalty squared the ledger in the 56th minute.
The Reds were denied a second try - and delayed the momentum shift - when Rob Simmons gallant surge from near halfway was rubbed out when New Zealand referee Bryce Lawrence ruled the lock had knocked the ball on when intercepting an Ellis pass heading into the final quarter.
The bulk of the 52,113 crowd - an Australian provincial record - were infuriated but Genia turned their disgust into despair when he made a mesmerising 65-metre run that confounded the Crusaders defence.
From the base of a ruck Genia broke the first defensive line, kept his balance after Khan Fotuali'i's ankle tap and angled for the corner with Cooper looming in support.
Williams had Cooper covered so Genia powered on, his momentum carrying him to glory in Maitland's tackle.
Until Genia's double intervention the Crusaders had exerted massive pressure on the Reds linchpins.
Yet for all their dominance of possession and territory it took the genius of Carter - who otherwise had a subdued game -- and lackadaisical defence from Cooper to reward those advantages.
After another concerted build-up Carter, who had barely featured on attack, poked a grubber kick through the Reds defence five minutes before the break, regathered and was able to round behind the posts after Cooper made no attempt to stop his progress.
Carter added the extras but Cooper, who had broken the scoring deadlock four minutes earlier, earned and converted the Reds second penalty when he was tripped by the luckless Thorn to narrow the gap to one at halftime.
For the first time this season the Crusaders were held scoreless in the opening quarter - in a mirror image of their semifinal defeat of the Blues last weekend the Reds refused to shirk a massive defensive workload, at one stage repelling 14 phases inside the 22-metre zone.
The Crusaders were also undermined by Corey Flynn's erratic throwing - three were crooked in the first half not that the Reds scrum could construct a solid platform. But three stolen feeds - including one inside the last five minutes were pivotal before the Reds completed an outstanding defensive effort.
