Watermelons. A deadly, deadly fruit, especially if you’re a contestant on The Amazing Race. It’s about time humanity took its revenge on nature’s green and red harbinger and what better way to perform the execution than by wrapping one with rubber bands until it explodes?
The following clip, which features “The Slow Mo Guys” Gavin Free and Dan Gruchy and their questionable banter, was filmed at 1600fps using a Phantom Flex from Vision Research. The camera is capable of 2570fps at 1080p, but can capture at higher rates by bumping down the resolution. Shame it can cost anywhere between $US50,000 to $US150,000 to buy one, though apparently they can be rented on a daily basis for a couple of grand.
The actual explosion of the watermelon is neat, but what I found fascinating is the way the rubber bands compress into an almost-perfect ball. I can’t imagine how fast that ball would be travelling, but being hit by it would not be the highlight of your day.
Also… haven’t these guys heard of protective goggles? Seems like a spectacular way to lose an eye.
[YouTube, via Laughing Squid]