Crowd surfing is said to date back to the early 70’s when Iggy Pop took the first dive at the Midsummer Rock Festival and since then concert goers have carried on the rockstar tradition as if it were a staple in the live music experience. A right of passage, if you will, for all true live music enthusiasts. What was once exclusive to rock music has now bled into concerts across all genres as festival thrill seekers seek new ways to get free.
Although the reality of actually doing it is not for everyone, most people have at least considered it. The excitement of floating across a sea of screaming fans to the sound of your favorite artist. The energy of thousands of hands moving you along. The fear of not knowing where you could end up or who will be there when you land. Losing yourself in the moment completely is a feeling we all seek when we take these vacations from reality, but in this case only the brave of heart are willing to take the risk.
Tips For First Timers
1. Practice Good Form
The reality is, this sport can get pretty ugly. You could easily get dropped on your skull, punched in the face, head-butted… If you think it won’t happen to you, well you’re wrong. Bad things happen to everyone. Even celebrities have suffered serious injuries from crowd surfing gone wrong so it’s best to be aware of what could happen before you try knocking this one off your bucket list. In this case the only thing you can control is yourself, so do that.
When you get up, try asking more than one (STRONG) person to lift you to make sure your full weight is supported. DO NOT have someone cup their hands and throw you into the crowd by foot. It’s hard to stabilize yourself and the crowd won’t be expecting you. It’s better to grab the shoulders of two tall people and hoist yourself from there. You’ll be able to see if the crowd is ready and they’ll be able to see you too.
The higher you are, the better so as not to hit the person in front of you but rather go over their heads (even if they’re tall). Tense up for a bit when you land to make it easier to push you along.
Hopefully your take off is better than Michael Phelps’…
Once you’re moving, tilt your head up to protect your skull in the event of a bad landing. You never know when you’re going to go down to be prepared. Spread yourself out for balance and an open surface area for people to grab onto when they push. Keep your feet in the air to avoid kicking people as you go.
Along the ride, keeping a stiff, flat back will help stabilize you and also make it easier for people to move you over their heads. If you’re wobbly, it is more likely that when your ass lands on someone’s head who isn’t expecting you – you will fall and you will cry. Hitting the ground sucks so practice good form and make things as easy as possible for the people underneath you.
If there’s a gap in the crowd, try to find a way to let the people closest to you know that you’re coming so they can brace themselves (tap them or shout to get their attention).
Feet first! Going feet first allows you to see where you’re going and avoid landing on your head at the end.
When you’re ready to come down, bring your legs in and you should fall feet first. If you’re scared, DO NOT grab someone to ease your fall. You could hurt them and well… That’s just mean. Just let yourself fall and most likely, there will be a smiling face ready to lend a hand boosting you back up.
2. Wait For The Right Moment
High energy moments are good because when people are hyped, they won’t mind pushing you around and the crowd is usually more concentrated. During slower sets, people aren’t in the mood and if it’s towards the end they may get annoyed by it. Feed off the energy of the people around you and let that be your guide.
This experience usually only lasts a few short moments. Pick your favorite song or artist to provide the best soundtrack possible for your short-lived thrill. For me it will probably be B.O.B. by Outkast at Counterpoint.
3. Consider Going Front To Back
Although it’s not ideal to surf away from the front of the crowd, it IS your best bet if you don’t want to get hurt. Everyone is facing the stage so if you’re coming towards the crowd you will be seen, anticipated and safely moved to the back. Going towards the stage will mean coming at people from behind so unless you’re screaming, they may not know to catch you.
Then in the event you make it all the way to the pit, there’s a chance a security guard will send you to the back of the crowd regardless or worse… Depending on the policy at the venue, they could potentially remove you from the show all together.
“Front to Back” works best when people like you
4. Leave Your Stuff With A Friend Or Hold On TIGHT!
EVERYTHING you own will get lost in this experience. You are jerking around relentlessly and unless your belongings are duck taped to your body underneath your clothes… they will fall. There is no tracking down items lost in a crowd surf. Your ticket, your money, your phone… anything you care to see again should be left with a trustworthy friend before takeoff.
If you don’t think you can leave your stuff with anyone in case you can’t find them after, make sure it’s in a tightly sealed bag and hold onto it for dear life. Some concerts aren’t so PLUR and someone could try to steal it or it may get lost. Use your best judgement on what you think you can hold onto.
5. Dress For The Occasion
- Studs, zippers or loose jewelry can all get caught in someone’s hair or around their neck so try to avoid wearing anything along those lines the day of the event.
- Anything that isn’t strapped to your person will most likely be dropped or stolen. Leave any hats or accessories at home or with a friend.
- Soft shoes that can be tightly secured are your best option for footwear. You could potentially kick someone in the head and if you do it with heels they’ll probably retaliate (rightfully so). Make sure they fit you because if you lose your shoe in the crowd you’ll be barefoot the rest of the day.
- Bracelets, earrings, necklaces… any jewelry really – can scratch people or pull hair. You also run the risk of having it ripped off, lost or stolen so just don’t do it.
- For females, you will have hands all over your body. If you’re not comfortable being groped, don’t attempt this in skimpy clothing. A bathing suit string is easily pulled, leaving you topless. If you’re wearing a skirt, expect someone’s hand to reach up and grab you. We like to think people are nice but in reality, they might not be. Protect yourself.
So basically… Avoid dressing like Lady Gaga.
6. Pick A Meeting Place And Time To Rejoin Your Crew.
You’re going to lose the people you came with when you embark on this journey so if you care to ever see them again, you might want to designate a meeting spot before you take off. Somewhere easily spotted, away from the crowds that won’t take you too far out of the way of where you want to be is probably your best location. Otherwise, make some new friends wherever you land and know that you’ll see your crew again at the campsite or the car.
There’s nothing wrong with losing the people you came with, by the way. Sometimes, it’s when we are away from the people that think they know us that we feel free to really let ourselves go.
And of course… NEVER disrespect Riff Raff.
7. The Wheelchair Crowd Surf
I can only imagine how exhilarating it feels for someone that is confined to a chair their whole lives to be hoisted above the crowd in a moment of what can only be described as pure ecstasy. The view of thousands of people cascading before you, a colossal stage erupting with sound and light, the energy rising in the air like smoke from a fire.
Skip to 4:30 and you’ll get a glimpse of what I mean in the joy that shines through on his face. Ellie Goulding’s, “Lights” brought this almost peaceful moment before Wakanda sent the crowd into a fury; however short-lived, it makes me happy to see.
Celebrity Crowd Surfers
Steve Aoki
Steve Aoki has championed the art of crowd surfing in the modern day, using it as a tool to enhance his performances, excite his audiences and unite artist with crowd. To date, he has launched thousands of Aoki rafts into seas of ravers all over the world and crowd surfed on my own face personally a number of times. It’s certainly an experience I would recommend to anyone.
The fact that he gives fans the opportunity to climb aboard the Aoki raft to experience it for themselves makes it that much more special as it becomes real to those who lived it. We can all smile as we watch the girl next to us hoisted into the ride of her life, something none of us will ever forget and that, my friends, is a beautiful thing.
Diplo
It’s pretty much certain that Diplo did not invent the idea of crowd zorbing but he has definitely taken it to a whole ‘nother level. Rolling around on fans while trapped inside a plastic globe like a modern day bubble boy, he has revolutionized the art of crowd surfing and every time he does it you have one of those WTF moments… but with all the thousands of people around you.
Krewella
Those girls just grab life by the balls and go for it. There is never the slightest glimmer of fear in their eyes before they leap into a sea of hands and that’s the confidence you need to be successful in anything really.
Kaskade
Kaskade is a gentle soul but he knows that when the moment moves you, take it. We could all learn from that. However, humble we may be, there are moments in life not worth missing over shyness or sensibility.
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