An Australian man plunged to his death today, with officials saying the fall was due to a new Facebook phenomenon called planking. Planking, or strategically lying on peculiar things and snapping a picture of it, suddenly seems less fun.
Acton Beale, 20, seems to have just lost his balance while trying to plank. And, really, that’s all it takes. I’m not sure how this got started, why, or what statement can be made through it, but planking seems to be a growing trend in Australia. Plankers will often take pictures of themselves lying across furniture or during otherwise normal activities and post the pics on Facebook. But the NY Post reports that it gets dangerous when people start trying to one-up each other.
People are trying to out-do each other by planking on structures or in precarious positions putting themselves and others at risk, the Queensland Police statement said. “The potential for disaster increases as more and more risks are taken to get the ultimate photo.”
Does this qualify as an extreme sport then? Plankers beware. [New York Post, ten, Image via Metro]