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Darwin Awards
2007 Darwin Awards
Email a Friend Named in honor of Charles Darwin, the father of evolution, the Darwin Awards commemorate those who improve our gene pool by removing themselves from it. Next Prev Random

 
 
Sky Surfer
2007 Darwin Award Nominee
Confirmed True by Darwin

(October 2007, Ibeza, Spain) Storm winds swept across southern Spain, causing widespread flooding and damage to buildings along the Costa Blanca. "Cool," thought one intrepid kite surfer as he packed his gear and hit the beach.

Move over, Charlie Brown. Today's large kites are not helpless fodder for kite-eating trees, mere triangles held by a string. Modern kites are controlled by multiple lines, with surface areas that create so much pull that it can be difficult to keep your feet planted on ground theeven during normal wind conditions. These were not normal conditions. Heavy rainstorms, flooding and landslides had caused the government to declare a state of emergency.

"Rad," thought the 40-year-old Spanish surfer as he unfurled his kite, climbed onto his board, and embarked on the ride of a lifetime.

According to the authorities, the man, who was on a holiday, had gone into the water defying a bathing ban. The high winds picked him up and ultimately carried him almost a kilometer inland, tagging him against buildings along the way. One more nominee joins the queue to meet Charles Darwin...in person.

ORIGINAL SUBMISSION
And a related story...

DarwinAwards.com © 1994 - 2012 Woot!
Submitted by: George Kiernan
Reference: Spain RTVE, neurope.eu, Deutsche Presse-Agentur

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The Darwin Awards: Evolution in Action

Hardback. 327 pages. Autographed.
$15
185 Stories! In the ongoing saga of Survival of the Fittest, meet the thief who steals electrical wires without shutting off the current! Marvel at the would-be pilot who suspends his lawnchair from helium balloons! Learn from the man who peers into a gas can using a cigarette lighter...!

This book also includes a History of the Darwin Awards, Darwin Haiku, and a dozen humorous discussions of the implications of evolution, including the origin of idiots, and the role of testosterone.

Autographed by Author!

 

 


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