+
Most Shared

See hilarious race photos from Japan's Office Chair Grand Prix.

This is a story of triumph, creativity, and hundreds of busted desk chairs.

In 2010, Tsuyoshi Tahara of Kyotanabe, Japan, was trying to save his struggling photography studio. Tahara's business and the other small businesses on his block were struggling to compete with high-end malls and new supermarkets popping up in their city.

So Tahara thought big and came up with the perfect way to bring shoppers back: a race with rolling office chairs.


Photo by Trevor Williams/Getty Images.

Yep, you read that right.

Now in its sixth year, the ISU-1 Chair Grand Prix has spread to 12 prefectures in Japan and has brought along with it fanfare, delight, and lots of happy shoppers.

Take a behind-the-scenes look at what it took to be competitive at this year's race in Kyotanabe which was held on March 26.

1. Round up your bravest friends.

Photo by Trevor Williams/Getty Images.

You can only have a team of three, so a pre-race showcase of strength and daring may be required.

2. Secure the appropriate attire for office chair racing.

What might that be? you ask. Well, you're definitely going to want a helmet. And probably some knee pads.

Photo by Trevor Williams/Getty Images.

And some stretchy pants can't hurt, right? Aerodynamics and whatnot.

Photo by Trevor Williams/Getty Images.

Since you are in an office chair, you can go full business casual and throw on a necktie.

Photo by Trevor Williams/Getty Images.

Or dress like some sort of baked good. I'm not here to judge.

Photo by Trevor Williams/Getty Images.

3. Get limbered up.

The race is two hours long and is a test of endurance and chair-durability in equal measure.


Gotta get loose! Photo by Trevor Williams/Getty Images.

4. Prepare your chair.

Your chair is not allowed to have any modifications but you can grease up and adjust any existing piece you want.

Photo by Trevor Williams/Getty Images.

Extra decorations are A-OK, too.

Photo by Trevor Williams/Getty Images.

Prior to the race, each chair-iot is given a proper once-over to check for any funny business.

Other than the incredibly funny business of grown people racing furniture. Photo by Trevor Williams/Getty Images.

5. Pump up the crowd.

Fans line the streets to support the courageous competitors ... and to watch strangers fall off office furniture.

Photo by Trevor Williams/Getty Images.

There are even a few cheerleaders on the course to provide extra encouragement.

Photo by Trevor Williams/Getty Images.

6. Go big or roll home.

Though it's all in good fun, this is not a competition for the faint of heart.

There are thrills!

Photo by Trevor Williams/Getty Images.

Spills!

Don't worry, this competitor wasn't seriously injured. Photo by Trevor Williams/Getty Images.

And hairpin turns!

Photo by Trevor Williams/Getty Images.

7. Finish strong!

Check the scores.


Photo by Trevor Williams/Getty Images.

Revel in the thrill of victory.

Photo by Trevor Williams/Getty Images.

Or the agony of the seat.

Photo by Trevor Williams/Getty Images.

Be sure to stick around to watch the winning team take home their grand prize: 90 kilograms (just over 198 pounds) of rice.

This year's winners were a trio of triathletes. Photo by Trevor Williams/Getty Images.

For business owners and fans alike, the ISU-1 Grand Prix is a story of perseverance and creativity.

Guests return to oft-forgotten storefronts and regular folks get to feel like pro athletes for one wild and wonderful day. There is no better (or funnier) combination.

Photo by Trevor Williams/Getty Images.

Joy

Sorry, Labradors. After 31 years, America has a new favorite dog.

The American Kennel Club has crowned a new favorite.

via Pixabay

A sad-looking Labrador Retriever

The sweet-faced, loveable Labrador Retriever is no longer America’s favorite dog breed. The breed best known for having a heart of gold has been replaced by the smaller, more urban-friendly French Bulldog.

According to the American Kennel Club, for the past 31 years, the Labrador Retriever was America’s favorite dog, but it was eclipsed in 2022 by the Frenchie. The rankings are based on nearly 716,500 dogs newly registered in 2022, of which about 1 in 7 were Frenchies. Around 108,000 French Bulldogs were recorded in the U.S. in 2022, surpassing Labrador Retrievers by over 21,000.

Keep ReadingShow less

Jason K. Pargin shares his controversial theory on lobster.

Novelist Jason K. Pargin has inspired an online food fight after his video about lobster received over 500,000 views on Tiktok and nearly 6 million on Twitter. Pargin believes that we’ve all been tricked into liking lobster and that people only like it because it’s considered high class.

Pargin is the author of the “John Dies at the End” and “Zoey Ashe” series and the former editor of Cracked.com.

"I don't think anyone actually enjoys eating lobster. I think they've just been convinced that it's a high-class food for a really specific reason,” Pargin says in his controversial video. He then describes how just a few centuries ago lobster was once used as prisoners' food and ground into fertilizer.

Keep ReadingShow less
Joy

An 8-year-old snuck his handwritten book onto a library shelf. Now it has a 56-person waiting list.

Dillon Helbig's 81-page graphic novel— written by "Dillon His Self"—captured the hearts of his local librarians and their patrons.

Dillon Helbig's 81-page graphic novel captured the hearts of his local librarians.

Writing a book is no easy task, even for adult professional writers. Many would-be authors dream of a day when their work can be found on library shelves, unsure if it will ever come.

But for 8-year-old Dillon Helbig, that day has already arrived—in truly unconventional fashion—thanks to his own determination to make it happen.

Dillon wrote his 81-page graphic novel, "The Adventures of Dillon Helbig's Crismis" (written by "Dillon His Self") in a hardcover journal with colored pencils over the course of a few days. He even put a label on the back of the book that reads "Made in Idho" [sic] and put an illustrated spine label on it as well. Then, without telling anyone, he brought it to his local library in Boise, Idaho, and slipped it in among the books in the children's section.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pop Culture

This 1940s guide on 'how to be pretty' for teen girls has some surprisingly modern suggestions

In a resurfaced video from the 1940s, Mary Stuyvesant, a Ponds beauty consultant, spoke to a group of high school girls about "how to be pretty."

1940s guide on "how to be pretty" is surprisingly modern.

Often, when we think of the 1940s and the messaging that was sent to women and girls back then, we tend to imagine lessons about how to get and keep a husband. But it turns out that all messaging wasn't the same and some girls were receiving a much more progressive message about their appearance.

In a resurfaced video from the 1940s, Mary Stuyvesant, a Ponds beauty consultant, spoke to a group of high school girls about "how to be pretty." Surprisingly, the advice is rather timeless and not at all focused on becoming the best wife and mother you can be, but on learning to care for yourself. Stuyvesant refers to your physical appearance as icing on a cake and that good icing tastes nice but the cake is the most important part.

She goes on to explain to the girls that who they are as people is the cake and that's the part that needs the most attention.

Keep ReadingShow less

Weatherman rescues a chicken in a blizzard and now they're friends.

There's a little-known saying that every weatherman needs a chicken. OK, it's little known because I totally just made it up, but you have to admit, it's just random enough to make you wonder if you missed out on a weird colloquialism. But in this case, it may be a new saying because weatherman David Neal found a stray chicken while reporting on a blizzard, and they've somehow become best friends.

The chicken, now named Penelope, was running around in the snowstorm while Neal was filming, so he tried to catch her so he could make sure she was warm. Penelope had other plans and gave Neal a literal run for his money. Eventually, with the help of a bystander who was likely as confused as the chicken, Neal was able to get Penny in his arms.

Of course, he had some explaining to do once the cameras were rolling again, and he handled it like the pro he is, holding a live chicken.

Keep ReadingShow less
Today Info/Youtube

Taylor Swift "diving" below the stage of her Eras Tour concert

The highly anticipated, Ticketmaster-bustingTaylor Swift Eras Tour has officially begun. And it’s looking like the pop star is pulling out all the stops to deliver a heap of spectacle.

Case in point—a video from the “Anti-Hero” pop star's kick-off concert that’s making quite the splash online.

In a mesmerizing blend of live performance and hologram wizardry, audiences saw Swift, clad in a flowy red dress, dive into a pool built into the stage. She then swam across to emerge through waves in a shimmery jumpsuit, just before climbing a ladder and disappearing into a cloud.

Basically, it was like a romantic fairy tale brought to life.

Keep ReadingShow less