Crowd surfing

Crowd surfing describes the process whereby a person is passed from person to person, transferring the person from one part of the concert venue to another, above everyone's heads, with everyone's hands supporting the person's weight.

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At most concerts and festivals the crowd surfer will be passed towards a barrier in front of the stage by the crowd, where they will be pulled off and put onto their feet by the security stewards. Following this they will be sent back to the side or rear of the crowd at the end of the barrier or they may be ejected from the venue (depending on the policy enforced). Some venues operate a zero tolerance policy towards surfing where any surfer will be automatically thrown out, but most operate a "two / three strikes and out" policy where only persistent offenders are punished.

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Crowd surfing generally occurs only towards the front of an audience where the crowd is dense enough to support a person's body. It is most popular at metal, punk, rock and indie gigs. At some genre concerts, such as folk and classical music, crowdsurfing is unheard of because the audience will not generate enough energy to be able to hold up an audience member, and also because these concerts are more usually seated. In addition, it could be said that audiences of folk and similar musical genres are less susceptible to such behaviour because of common social values against such activities.

Related Topics:
Metal - Punk - Rock - Indie - Folk - Classical

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In order to get above everyone's heads, a person can be given a boost, or they can stage dive.

Related Topics:
Boost - Stage dive

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The practice was said to have been invented by Peter Gabriel who first indulged in the act during performances of "The Knife".

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The musical group They Might Be Giants, who strongly discourage crowd surfing, often refer to the practice as "passing the dude".

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