Living In A Plankers Paradise

Planking; what is this new craze that is sweeping all corners of the world? Ok maybe not corners since the world is circular and not a square but you get what I mean. Planking is an activity, popular in various parts of the world, consisting of lying face down in an unusual or incongruous location. The hands must touch the sides of the body, and having a photograph of the participant taken and posted on the Internet is an integral part of the game. Players compete to find the most unusual and original location in which to play. The location should also be as public as possible, and as many people as possible should be involved.

Believe it or not Planking has a long history surrounding its origins but seemingly has only since recently seriously been noticed around the world. The game has been described by some as "pointless" and as "Parkour for those who can’t be bothered". Planking has spread to the rest of the world over the years where it has also been known as "시체놀이" ("playing dead") (2003,South Korea), "à plat ventre" ("On one’s belly", France 2004), "extreme lying down", (2008, Australasia) "facedowns" (2010, USA and Ireland), and Planking (2011, Australia & New Zealand and worldwide). As pointless as many may view this it is just something that can be shared in and enjoyed by any and all walks of life. Planking may not make sense to everyone but in reality you have nothing to lose and so much to gain from an act so simple and rudimentary. Give it a go and post a picture online share with your friends the fun and competition of planking; just remember to be safe...

As with any other physical activity there is bound to be the potential for bodily harm. As such keep in mind the main purpose of this game to be fun but precautions should always be taken to ensure that Planking is done with minimal actual bodily harm. Although a seemingly harmless activity, planking gained further attention recently after a Australian man was killed after trying to plank off his roof. He fell seven stories to his death. Acton Beale became the first known casualty of this planking fad and hopefully he is the last. Another precaution to take is not to be caught Planking in places that may be too inappropriate to authority type figures depending on the situation. Such as the 20-year-old man from Gladstone, Austrailia in central Queensland that was charged for allegedly planking on a police vehicle. For more information or pictures on Planking feel free to check out http://planksociety.com/ and join in on the fun...