A 23-year-old man from China became the winner of an unusual “lying down competition”. He lasted an impressive 33 hours and 35 minutes on the mattress.
Most participants wore diapers to avoid disqualification. About 240 people came. But 186 finished within the first day. After more than 33 hours, only three contestants remained. The youngster who lasted the longest was declared the champion, according to the South China Morning Post.
The event was held at a shopping center in Baotou, Inner Mongolia. It was organized by the mattress brand to match the popular youth trend of “lying flat”. It means doing the bare minimum in response to social pressure and a tough job market.
The rules were simple. The contestants had to lie down continuously without sitting up, leaving the mattress or going to the toilet. They were allowed to read, play on their phones, turn around and even order food. All was well as long as they lay still.
The organizers made the competition more difficult by asking the last three contestants to raise their arms and legs simultaneously while still lying on their backs. The one who held the position the longest won.
In the end, only the 23-year-old man could continue. The top three winners received 3,000 yuan (approx ₹38,000), 2,000 yuan (approx ₹25,000) and 1,000 yuan (approx ₹12,500).
He said his girlfriend sent him a link to the contest and invited him to participate. He admitted that he didn’t prepare much.
He felt like quitting in the middle of the competition. However, his girlfriend encouraged him to continue, which motivated him to push through.
“I will use the money to treat my friends to a hotpot dinner. They came to me last night, brought me food and drinks, in the middle of the competition,” the SCMP winner was quoted as saying.
Live streaming goes viral
Many social media users in China wondered if the event would be held in other cities. The live stream of the event went viral, garnering 10 million views. According to the publication, there were also around 8 million comments.
“I bet I can last 70 hours if I keep a few portable chargers handy for my cell phone,” wrote one.
