There are pranks done poorly, and then there are pranks done very right. This limbo prank in Norway falls squarely into the latter category. Norwegian gag group NRK Humor set up camp on Olso's busiest road to challenge the flexibility of passersby—and their ability to deal with surprise. Two pranksters in flamboyant, colorful outfits with an official-looking limbo stick called out to people who were walking by. I don't know Norwegian (weird, I know. I'm such a failure.), but it's safe to assume they extend an invite for said person to accept a limbo challenge. Being that Norwegians are awesome, a lot of people said yes because hey, who doesn't love a nice limbo break in their day?
Here's how it works: First, the contestant dons an eye mask—as vision apparently offers too strong an advantage for clearing the stick. The NRK orchestrators count down before joyfully announcing, in the cutest Norwegian accents: "Limbo!" The temporarily-blinded person then bent their knees, reclined back, and carefully proceeded forward. Pretty straightforward. However, these people were left, backs bent, inching below absolutely nothing. Because these NRK guys are EVIL.
After blindfolding their marks and prompting them to proceed with the limbo challenge, the pranksters quickly sprint away, far from view, leaving the challengers to obliviously, very slowly waddle around Karl Johans gate. In front of, like, a lot of people. The conviction these people hold on their concentrated faces is adorable as they creep around—again, sans vision—in the crowded area. My favorite part, though, is the balancing claw most folks seem to adopt. Does that help, I wonder? Anyway:
Props to NRK Humor for convincing such a wide variety of contestants to take on the limbo challenge, from an older business gentleman to the very dedicated Nike enthusiast. And even more props to the lighthearted response those contestants had when they realized they'd been duped. I applaud that. Well done, Norway.
Image: YouTube
