Wipeout on world's largest skateboard worth a million laughs

By: Pete Thomas, GrindTV.com

Not even Shaquille O'Neal, if he knew the slightest thing about skateboarding, could handle the world's largest skateboard by himself.

The over-sized but otherwise realistic contraption is 36 feet 7 inches long, nearly nine feet wide and weighs 3,800 pounds.

It requires a group of people to successfully ride and even then it's usually a short and precarious journey that results in a highly comical wipeout.

So it was predictable that when California Skateparks owner and board co-designer Joe Ciaglia recently tried to give the WLS a solo-whirl down a grassy knoll, he was forced to bail from and nearly trampled by an out-of-control unit that flipped in a wild crash farther down the hill.

What might also have been predictable was that the madcap episode would end up on YouTube and be witnessed by more than a million people.

It's titled "Joe Ciaglia vs. the World's Largest Skateboard" and it was posted July 1. On Monday its viewership surpassed 1 million, a testament either to the popularity of skateboarding or to the the fact that people simply love a good laugh at other people's expense -- or both.

"Obviously with me falling it got a lot more attention that it would have had I not fallen," Ciaglia said. "If you look closely my foot hit the tire and my shoe got knocked off."

It also helped, from a popularity standpoint, that the original WLS was unveiled during a 2009 episode of MTV's "Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory," and that the celebrity/skater designed the board with the help of Ciaglia.

That board is in Dyrdek's warehouse. The latest model, owned by Ciaglia and referred to simply as "the big skateboard," is an exact replica and was recently displayed at New York's Times Square. It has been featured on commercials and will be used as a prop when Dyrdek's new%

The documentary biopic of Danny Way's 20-year skate career will premiere at SXSW

The new documentary will have plenty of early teenage photos, video and audio of Way along with more recent footage and interviews

How do you capture the true essence of a skateboarding legend who brought us the MegaRamp, pulled a 360 over the Great Wall of China, launched into a vert ramp from a helicopter, or dropped from the Hard Rock Hotel Guitar 82-feet above the Vegas Strip? Not sure, but we'll get our chance to find out how director Jacob Rosenberg portrays Danny Way in the new feature-length documentary "Waiting for Lightning." The highly anticipated film about the life of pioneering skateboarder Danny Way..

13 Comments

1-13 of 13

Posted by benny1107rules July 13, 2010 02:28pm PDTReply | Report Abuse

HAHAHHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHA first comment!

Reply by erikthev July 13, 2010 02:50pm PDTReport Abuse

So Benny, is 1107 your birth month and year?? and that's the best you could come up with?? not bad for a 2 1/2 year old I suppose

Reply by snoball626 July 13, 2010 03:58pm PDTReport Abuse

pwnd

Reply by cherise caiazza July 13, 2010 05:15pm PDTReport Abuse

Way to steal his thunder....

Reply by handigoatmasala July 13, 2010 07:09pm PDTReport Abuse

You know, Mr. Erik the V, stupidly insulting a stupid person makes you pretty stupid too. Just a suggestion, unless you're 2 1/2 yourself.

Reply by kris keillor July 13, 2010 08:41pm PDTReport Abuse

Here I am opening myself up to insult, but doesn't that make you stupid also?
...oh god this is gonna go on forever.

Reply by erikthev July 13, 2010 09:11pm PDTReport Abuse

Well, Mr Handigoatmasala... at least I didn't name myself after my favourite curry.... (and insulting a stupid someone isn't necessarily stupid in itself as long as wit and repartee are utilised )

Reply by checkspell July 13, 2010 09:29pm PDTReport Abuse

*Utilized*

Reply by endoboy July 13, 2010 11:21pm PDTReport Abuse

Unless he's from the UK, then "utilised" is correct. Otherwise, he erred.

Reply by fisquid July 13, 2010 11:36pm PDTReport Abuse

Shall we hire you a translator? I know, British English is sooo hard! You just want to correct it all!

Reply by lava July 14, 2010 05:45am PDTReport Abuse

what turds you are....

Reply by ehrlich July 14, 2010 06:30am PDTReport Abuse

Turds indeed...

Reply by illuminati x July 14, 2010 09:44am PDTReport Abuse

I cant believe how many dumb asses there are in this world> Dumb ass people with their dumb ass posts> You guys may not have the "Down" but you certainly have the "syndrome"

Reply by idjute July 14, 2010 10:19am PDTReport Abuse

Cool man, bet that is off the bucket list of things done.

Reply by jcydking July 14, 2010 02:32pm PDTReport Abuse

I WAS about a big skateboard, but now it's about poo & curry & getting "utilised" British style. Funny how something can go so wrong. Kinda like this video.

Posted by jenna trapani July 13, 2010 03:09pm PDTReply | Report Abuse

That was EPIC! The first time I watched it though, I thought he got run over by the back wheel.

Reply by electra brawn July 13, 2010 07:50pm PDTReport Abuse

me to, lol

Posted by james frances July 13, 2010 03:42pm PDTReply | Report Abuse

that was sweet - are you kidding me... http://www.thebestskateboarddecks.com/

Posted by james frances July 13, 2010 03:44pm PDTReply | Report Abuse

unreal

Posted by snoball626 July 13, 2010 03:57pm PDTReply | Report Abuse

they should add a chevy big block and low geared tranny like on monster trucks and just drive it around. hook up a steeriing system on it and they would be set up

Reply by kris keillor July 13, 2010 08:43pm PDTReport Abuse

Then it really wouldn't qualify as a true skateboard. In one scene I thought I saw a cable of some sort tied to the back. Probably emergency brake... obviously they took it off.

Reply by mike collier July 14, 2010 07:16am PDTReport Abuse

you did see a tow strap hooked to the back attached to a truck, im assuming in case it was going to fast and needed to be stopped

Posted by johnathan dale walker July 13, 2010 07:29pm PDTReply | Report Abuse

DUDE...that is effing AWESOME! Can I do it?!! (I would probably totally chicken out).

Posted by rallynova July 13, 2010 08:08pm PDTReply | Report Abuse

next time wear a helmet!

Posted by travissss July 13, 2010 09:12pm PDTReply | Report Abuse

What is the name of that song?

Reply by ifechukwude ijeoma nwadiwe July 13, 2010 10:10pm PDTReport Abuse

gimme gimme gimme by ABBA

Reply by jcydking July 14, 2010 02:33pm PDTReport Abuse

Black flag

Posted by tanner quigg July 14, 2010 12:03am PDTReply | Report Abuse

i worked there this summer... it was really amazing, i left the week before this happened. DAMN!!

Posted by jettqwik July 14, 2010 04:51am PDTReply | Report Abuse

It would be hilariously insane if they let the crew from "JACKASS" The Movie ride the W.B.S. After all they have already ridden the world's largest shopping cart. Can you vision "Wee-man" riding the tail? LOL!!!

Posted by mike gritzbach July 14, 2010 11:30am PDTReply | Report Abuse

i thought rob dyrdek had the worlds biggest

Reply by mackenzie allison July 14, 2010 01:33pm PDTReport Abuse

he does this was a replica of his... at least i think that's what the article says...

Posted by hangman34 July 14, 2010 01:12pm PDTReply | Report Abuse

It would have been totaly bltchln' if he stayed on it over that dirt mound... He would have totally eaten s#lt but he would have been the man... now he is just the guy that jumped off... Still cool..

Posted by kdawg65 July 15, 2010 10:02am PDTReply | Report Abuse

Too funny! Laughed my ass off! Lucky he didn't get hurt though..was close.

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