I too think this is totally awesome! (dugmartsch, you aren't the only one)

Seriously, I would love to have been tossed like this as a kid. The experiences you have during your first few years form the basis for your personality later in life. I remember how great it felt when my parents would toss me up and catch me in a blanket. Not from 40 feet, but still. I imagine such a thing would have felt great at that age.

Listen, everybody, look at it like this: Have you ever participated in trust exercises? The kind where you fall backwards into someone's arms? I have, and despite how silly it looks or feels at the time, it feels great, and has a profound psychological effect. That visceral memory of falling and then being caught is very powerful and very strengthening. You literally know there are people who will catch you if you fall. It's a physical expression of support and love.

Now, imagine taking that to such an extreme. I imagine those children do indeed grow up quite fearless and ready for anything. Not because of the fall, but because they were caught at the end by a community who loves them.

This is a tradition that's been going on for generations. That means every adult in that video was probably tossed off that same building and caught by their whole village. Do you think they'd keep doing it if it was a negative thing for them?

This is one of the most beautiful rituals I've ever seen. I suspect this is a very tight-knit community, where most everyone can trust and depend on each other. They all have an innate memory of being caught from falling by their whole village, as well as a memory of catching those who will come next.

So yeah, say what you will, but I think it's really really cool. And I wish we had a tradition like that here.

I bet a lot of these will be appearing at Burning Man this year.

That is so cool. Wikipedia needs more pictures - hopefully this will be the beginning of a trend!

Being an amateur photographer and only 4 hours from NY, I am crushed that it's on a Friday when I have to work. Damn.

Someone should hack these so they calculate Whuffie.

@manicbassman - That is exactly what I was thinking.

I hope they preserved the peaches somehow -- otherwise this is going to be the world's most disgusting sculpture in about a week.

Sure, everybody's excited about the new species, but what about the dwarves? Now there's an entire species of whale whose purpose is to KILL them! Poor Gimli!