Sizzling sports action

[debgeisler]

Okay. I believe there is something seriously wrong in the world, when people don't think there are enough ways to end up maimed or dead, so they have to revive 2,000-year-old games to injure, maim, or kill themselves.

This bit of a micro-rant is about "he'e holua," which is this wicked old "sport" (aka "stupidity") that roughly translates to "speed down side of volcano with the yucky stuff and see if you can survive" -- lava surfing for short.

I guess when the surf's a bit too tame, the lunatic fringe in Hawai'i turn to more idiotic ways to damage themselves. It apparently developed from "mountain surfing" (sleds on a bed of stone) and went on from there. The Hawaiian Boarding Company offers a bit of history.

Lava surfing??? Who makes this stuff UP?

Comments

[jbriggs.livejournal.com]

Sounds a little bit like Grass Skiing, where you wear catepillar style tracks on your feet. It was all the rage in the early eighties here in SoCal.

[gerisullivan.livejournal.com]

Nah. People can walk on grass. Even that's not a good idea around hot lava.

[jbriggs.livejournal.com]

Hot lava would be very stupid to surf on, however the article quoted doesn't mention it. I believe its refering to volcanic rock - also something more dangerous than grass, but then the sport isn't as popular, either. Note the recommended equipment:

adding on the legs and elbows is used as protection from falls which are less forgiving than falls on Snow.

Helmets are also definitely recommended in Grass Skiing, or in any Skiing Discipline for that matter.

[jbriggs.livejournal.com]

Hmm, lost a P in the cut'n'paste .. s.b. Padding

[smofbabe.livejournal.com]

Same people as do extreme ironing, I would guess.