(Not The Bee) It’s all fun and games until 16,000 euros ($15,679 USD) is on the line.
Over the weekend, around 11,000 people came out to watch Spain’s bi-annual “human tower” competition. This was the first of this event held since the world shut down because of COVID and this tradition actually dates back to the 18th century.
In 2010, human towers, or “castells,” were added to UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity as an “integral part of (Catalan) cultural identity”.
The goal is simple: build the largest human tower (including a safe dismount).
It may seem easy, but this competition gets INTENSE, and when those human Jenga pieces start falling, you might want to look away.
According to Reuters, at this year’s event, 71 people needed medical attention, and 13 people were taken to the hospital. 😬
This isn’t for the faint of heart, but that doesn’t stop the children from climbing up the human ladders.
Don’t worry too much, the youngest and most agile team members wear helmets. Which should help if they wobble and crumble towards the ground and crowds of people…
