(I'm not sure if this picture is from this year's competition, just so you know...)
This practically writes itself, via Fox News and Yahoo:
Think of it as rock climbing — except on a mountain of Chinese buns.Hong Kong is relaunching the annual bun-snatching tradition on suburban Cheung Chau island after a 26-year break. Officials called off the ritual of climbing up a tower of buns after one tower collapsed in 1978, injuring 100 people.
The official 46-foot bun climbing tower, 10-feet in diameter, is now buttressed by a concrete foundation designed by government architects and supported by a steel frame.
Competitors are trained by the Hong Kong Mountaineering Union. Padding is installed at the bottom of the bun tower.
The result: modern rock climbing meets Hong Kong tradition.
On Sunday, [41] bun snatchers wearing gloves with ropes attached to their bodies scrambled up the scaffolding — free of buns for now — in a preliminary competition. The 12 who reached the top of the tower fastest qualified for the final.
"We hope bun snatching can be available all year if the public thinks it's fun," Secretary for Home Affairs Patrick Ho said on a radio show.
"Now this is turning from a tradition to a . . . sporting event," Ho said.
Gone is the mad scramble to the top of the bun tower. The 12 finalists of this year's bun snatching contest will pack their bags with as many buns as possible within a given period, with the higher buns worth more points. The competitor with the most points wins.
I think it's kind of lame that they don't actually climb a wall of buns anymore in the final. I, for one, am going to protest this by wallowing in a few dozen jelly-filled Dunkin' Donuts in the back yard. With no padding whatsoever.
A futile gesture? Perhaps, but I think it's important to take a stand.
A few dozen jelly donuts with no padding? I'm sure you will at least have coffee...
In the spirit of Hong Kong, I think tea would be more appropriate, don't you?