Crowd surfing risks outweigh thrill 

I was kicked in the face this past weekend at a punk show.

I was dancing awkwardly, screaming lyrics and generally minding my own business when a black sneaker collided with the side of my head.

In an attempt to crowd surf, a young concert go-er launched himself from a speaker onto the audience below, injuring me in the process and very nearly falling to the floor.

Crowd surfing, the first cousin of stage diving, joins head banging, mosh pits and hardcore dancing in the glossary of rock concert behaviors.

Though there is no recorded evidence, allegedly it was Jim Morrison who began crowd surfing in the late 60s.

If it was in fact Jim Morrison who began crowd surfing, he was likely under the influence and the crowd probably appeared soft and squishy.

But that’s just a guess.

Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips is well known for crowd surfing out of a spaceship in what is essentially a giant plastic hamster ball.

Flake of the angry German band Rammstein has been seen crowd surfing in a rubber boat.

I suppose if you’re going to crowd surf, you should do it in style.

Though it is generally frowned upon, crowd surfing is not explicitly illegal in the United States.

However, after nine people were trampled to death at a 2000 Pearl Jam concert in Denmark, many European countries outlawed the practice.

All of this begs the question, “Why?”

Why would any one willingly choose to hurl themselves into a crowd of people who may, or may not, catch them?

And if the crowd chooses to catch you, which, by concert going rules they should, who’s to say they won’t drop you, take your wallet or, say, get irritated when you kick someone in the face.

Female crowd surfers risk getting inappropriately groped and assaulted.

Crowd surfers risk a host of injuries, which they will probably brag about later.

You are literally putting your life in the hands of others, others who were happily enjoying their concert before you insisted on jumping on top of them.

Though it is proper etiquette to help up anyone who has fallen, it is an absolutely terrifying experience to be on the ground in a mosh pit.

Even for a 30 second thrill, it just doesn’t seem worth it.

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