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Darwin Awards
2008 Slush Pile

This item was recently submitted by a reader.
Should I include it in the archive?
Vote to tell me what *you* think!

Surfing a Tsunami

2008 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance

A tsunami is a major disaster. In 1961, a tsunami hit downtown Hilo, Hawai‘i. Waves over 30 feet high ran up the streets from the waterfront at speeds of over 30 miles an hour. Cars and buildings were moved over a quarter of a mile by the waters, and anyone unlucky enough to be in the path of the waves was in grave danger.

This is well-known in Hilo. Monuments commemorate the dead. Much of the former downtown is now a park, to prevent such a disaster from happening again. Millions of dollars have been spent on a warning system which gives sufficient advance notice that everyone in town can leave when another tsunami is possible.

Yet when a tsunami warning was sounded in 1978, several young men appeared at the beach with surfboards, ready to ride the tsunami inland! Had a tsunami actually arrived, they would have been dead before they could say, "Cowabunga!" Fortunately for them, no tsunami materialized.

Submitted on 07/29/2008

Submitted by: Anonymous
Reference: personal story from one who talked to them afterward

Copyright © 2008 DarwinAwards.com

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James said:
Definitely Keep: Personal Account
While it is rather common for surfers of all skill levels to ride the waves when a hurricane is in close proximity, I've never heard of anyone trying this on a tsunami. I imagine that is because if anyone has, they didn't live to tell the tale! Whereas most waves are the result of winds, tsunamis are the result of seismic activity and are a completely different and far more deadly animal! I can definitely keep this as a PA! Thanks!

Candi said:
Definitely Keep: Personal Account
A tsunami wipe out half the town less than twenty years ago. Here come another one. Let's go surf! Yep, a keeper all right. Thanks!

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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