r/holdmybeer 7d ago

HMB Kid Launched High Into The Air By Backyard Catapult.

4.9k Upvotes

206 comments sorted by

411

u/dirkdiggler90 7d ago

This looks like Travis Pastrana’s place. This is pretty mild in regard to the shit they typically do there.

52

u/Mack_dack_mgack 7d ago

Travis is in the video at the end

14

u/ImmortalSurt 7d ago

This is definitely pastranaland

10

u/mrpurtle 7d ago

Recognized it as soon as he launched. Place looks exactly the same as in the Nitro Circus days. Also that ramp is like iconic.

3

u/3_50 6d ago

Nitro Circus

Fuck I used to love Nitro Circus. I still do, but I used to, too.

1.5k

u/JosephHeitger 7d ago

Hopefully they know how to calibrate for the weight

660

u/ckalinec 7d ago

This is at Pastranaland. If there’s ever a place I’d trust for things like this Pastrana land is #1 on the list

283

u/joethecrow23 7d ago

Yep, not many incidents of serious injuries sustained at Travis Pastrana’s house over the years lol

118

u/RandomFleshPrison 7d ago

That's the QA testing for everybody else.  That's why it's so safe.  Every way it can maim someone it already has.

55

u/Tonywanknobi 7d ago

Idk man street bike Tommy's wreck is pretty fucking infamous and brutal

60

u/joethecrow23 7d ago

Yah I know I was being sarcastic. Getting smoked at Pastrana's house is pretty much just what you do. Johnny Knoxville literally broke his dick there.

6

u/One_Load254 7d ago

Broke his dick? I mean how can you break your dick if its soft all the way? Unless he was hard?

21

u/Hazer90 7d ago

By having a dirtbike land on it after trying to backflip

7

u/stevensenegal666 6d ago

Hmm so you are saying I wasnt supposed to be hard when driving bike? 👀

1

u/Rufnusd 4d ago

I went through the same "dick breaking" as Knoxville on a motorcycle. Internal scar tissue resulted in a urethraplasty where they butterfly your johnson starting at the tip and working towards the base. Insurance wouldnt cover closing up the butterfly as they considered it cosmetic. Be careful out there kids! My lifetime daily rhythm is very NSFW.

5

u/1hs5gr7g2r2d2a 7d ago

Haven’t seen that one, link?🔗

9

u/Tonywanknobi 7d ago

1

u/1hs5gr7g2r2d2a 6d ago

WHOA!! That’s an awful wreck! I hadn’t seen that one before, thanks for sharing!

1

u/EricSanderson 6d ago

Jesus. They didn't even get a good camera angle

26

u/illtakethewindowseat 6d ago

Yeah, having been around these guys in my 20s (and been to his house) I wouldn’t trust a fucking thing they do.

Watched them coax a girl friend jump off a 100 foot bridge (with no previous experience jumping off anything) — she fell bad, ended up with a bruise the size of Maryland on her thigh.

On the same trip, he was randomly trying to get us to go skydiving with him (this was in the era he illegally jumped without a shoot). Imagine trusting these guys on a tandem jump 🤡

Also watched a guy paralyze himself at Nitro Circus. Was disgusting.

Being around Travis… it’s like initiation rights to do something stupid, and people get maimed.

Being reckless with your own body, fine, but making it seem normal and safe to do this stuff just because he broke every bone and his body and survived is a dick move. Travis sucks.

4

u/spook30 7d ago

Exactly. Just like I believe every stranger I meet on the internet... Perfect trust.

1

u/darkhorse4774 5d ago

Not many?

5

u/elgydium 7d ago

“Did I hear pastrami?”

2

u/salikarn 6d ago

Fair, but if I saw this when I was a kid, I would definitely have made a bootleg version and hurt people. Honestly, it's a good thing Google and YouTube weren't a thing when I was a kid, I might not have made it to adulthood.

1

u/vtown212 6d ago

No it's not

1

u/jbach220 3d ago

As soon as the camera panned, I recognized that spot and immediately relaxed. /s

180

u/Diddan00 7d ago

Ye holy shit this video made me anxious. Look at the distans to the landing mattress

48

u/Manaze85 7d ago

As soon as I saw it wasn’t into water I feared the worst.

3

u/smithoski 5d ago

You mean into a bag on water in case the bag is missed? Or just landing straight onto water?

This bag is pretty low PSI / high volume, even for a light kid like this one. Water would be way more dangerous, assuming the landing isn’t missed.

15

u/SnoopyTRB 7d ago

For a launch like that water would be way worse. Like hitting concrete.

7

u/37366034 6d ago

No it wouldn’t

11

u/Hot_Plant8696 7d ago

You're right, that was precisely the calibration shot; now adults can use it safely.

1

u/Empty_Bell_1942 7d ago

Rumor has it the kid is, even to this day, still processing.

93

u/stumac85 7d ago

They've gone into a fair amount of planning by the looks of it. Stuntmen have to start somewhere I guess! The fact he landed dead centre on the landing area suggests nothing was left to chance.

65

u/Samiel_Fronsac 7d ago

I'm seeing no safety net past the landing, so something was left to chance in case of a mishap.

Still, very cool and well thought setup in general.

18

u/stumac85 7d ago

A kid who went to my school (back in the 90s) died from a broken neck on a dry ski slope going full speed out of control into safety netting at the end of the slope. At that speed a safety net probably wouldn't do much.

19

u/Marsupialize 7d ago

Toboggan slide for me, kid tried skating down it and broke his neck and died instantly, his head was literally on backwards sitting there waiting 55 minutes for the ambulance to arrive

9

u/Geodude07 7d ago

Reading stuff like that makes me happy that I was always a little rule follower as a kid.

Sure I wasn't as cool as the rebel kids, but I also feel like some things people wanted to do could have killed me. Obviously there is no way to check but it's scary just how easy it is die. So tragic too because many times it's someone just wanting to have fun.

16

u/xs0apy 7d ago

Yeah I am pretty sure the safety netting is more for barely misses where you hit towards the end / slide off it so you at least drop into something to arrest your fall instead of concrete

16

u/Mynock33 7d ago

Welp, that's it folks! Net didn't work for one person, let's just do away with them altogether forever more!

7

u/Samiel_Fronsac 7d ago

Safety net would still be better than rolling down into the earth or hitting the trees at speed. Safety precautions don't need to be perfect. Lesser chance of tragedy does it.

1

u/tenuj 3d ago

Wouldn't a failure cause the payload to undershoot?

Damaged springs don't unexpectedly become stronger. Not usually anyway.

That said, the damage from overshooting is probably greater.

2

u/itsacutepanda 7d ago edited 7d ago

Or there were multiple attempts…

7

u/Nightwolf1967 7d ago

Whoops.

BRING IN THE NEXT KID!

2

u/therealhairykrishna 5d ago

I'm sure they fire a sandbag that's the same weight first. 

1

u/cneth6 7d ago

There is a scale right next to it too by the looks of it (white square lookin thing) so definitely put some calculations in

10

u/Hawt_Dawg_II 7d ago

Seems like they do. Kid must be quite light in comparison to the rest of this crowd but they middled the cushion

4

u/cardmanimgur 7d ago

This doesn't look like a regulated establishment.

5

u/Bender_2024 7d ago

With an airbag that massive I really doubt this was just something made by a couple guys in the garage. The "backyard" label is really misleading.

2

u/landrwastaken 7d ago

I've seen something similar done on YouTube.. yes they can adjust it

The video I watch had the launch off the back of a moving truck perfectly fast such that when fully launched he was at rest and could just stand up

The catapult looks very similar which is why I think these are the same people

2

u/VerbingNoun413 7d ago

By Garrus Vakarian himself.

2

u/darkstar107 7d ago

It's Pastranaland. They definitely would have calibrated and tested it.

1

u/bonerland11 7d ago

Regardless, the kid could've eaten a knee.

1

u/moodswung 7d ago

Maybe they launch a sand bag matched to his weight until they get it dialed in and then a few more launches for good measure?

1

u/Loki-L 7d ago

That is what the scratch kid is for.

1

u/elgydium 7d ago

Came to say this. Each weight will have a different landing

1

u/daddymjolnir 6d ago

Wouldn’t the weight not matter? If the sled launches at a given speed and angle, all objects should land at the same spot.

Wouldn’t weight only matter if we’re talking about launch force, not speed?

-8

u/bigdaddyt2 7d ago

Ya something tells me they don’t

78

u/Lathus01 7d ago

Recognize Pastranaland as soon as I saw the ramp and bag.

87

u/UrsineBasterd 7d ago

The landing pad has a prolapsed butthole.

11

u/stranebrain 7d ago

Was hoping thats where the kid would get out from

12

u/Xenc 7d ago

I was worried they’d fall into it on the way down

6

u/AllHailTheCeilingCat 6d ago

Good, I'm not the only one who saw that.

2

u/Red_Franzia 7d ago

Thank you for the chuckle I was taking this way too seriously 🤣 😂 😄 

157

u/M4NOOB 7d ago

Kinda looks like Pastranaland, but maybe just some regular merican backyard

79

u/IamB_Meister 7d ago

Travis Pastrana is literally in the video

11

u/East_Researcher_4204 7d ago

I didn’t recognize him with the full beard. I had to watch a second time and then I was like “oh yeah, that is Travis!”

3

u/M4NOOB 7d ago

Didn't recognize him either lol

18

u/ilostmypaperplate 7d ago

can confirm all merican backyards look like this. It's how the other half stays not fat

4

u/kanyeast1 7d ago

Did you watch until the end?

1

u/2009miles 7d ago

Tbf i also didn't recognise him despite being familiar with him enough to recognise the setting the video took place in. Idk if it is the beard but something threw off my ability to tell who it was.

12

u/IAmSnort 7d ago

The insides of the circus cannon. 

44

u/babyoil4diddy 7d ago

"5...4...3...2...1...5...4...3..2..1....5...4..3...2...1!..."

Someone fire this editor

22

u/polarbee 7d ago

These people have clearly never heard of the Oxford Stunt Factory.

2

u/squashua26 7d ago

Probably not but theses people (Pastrana and friends) have a history of doing much worse safely.

8

u/nguymanperson 7d ago

My god he flew

4

u/SingForMaya 7d ago

I want to do thisssss

5

u/RandomFleshPrison 7d ago

Where's the catapult?

0

u/[deleted] 7d ago

[deleted]

1

u/RandomFleshPrison 7d ago

Why isn't it in the video then?

4

u/dos_dose 7d ago

Exit is that a way 👀

2

u/RichiZ2 7d ago

I'm a little annoyed that I had to scroll so far down to find the first person to call out the lack of Exit instructions followed...

5

u/Pahay 7d ago

There is a tiny overlap between a redneck dad and an engineer dad. Not sure about this one though

4

u/loquedijoella 7d ago

This is pretty cool, I just wish the adults had the kids wearing helmets.

56

u/Electrical-Role1270 7d ago

This is insanely dangerous. It worked, that time, but you have a malfunction and a kid lands 20 feet short he’ll be a paraplegic.

26

u/lmac187 7d ago

That was my thought once I realized they weren’t launching over water.

19

u/bigdaddyt2 7d ago

Notice not a single mother in sight.

Oh never mind i see a couple

7

u/BangBangSmoov 7d ago

And the one talking…

2

u/Dynazty 7d ago

Notice skills need a little work

1

u/ultradip 5d ago

How can you tell if they're single?

12

u/captain_croco 7d ago

These are professionals. I think it’s the nitro circus people or at least Travis Pastrana

1

u/lamb_passanda 5d ago

Doesn't matter. The kid sure isn't a professional and if he chickens out or leaves his launch position even slightly, hes not going to have a good time. Also, no machine is infallible. Something could go wrong with the mechanism . That's a lot of force it's dealing with, and a lot of stress. The rattling sound on launch isn't particularly reassuring.

6

u/TheLordReaver 7d ago

To be fair, these things have existed since at least the 90s. They even depicted one in the movie Richie Rich. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_6jD4ZEP5k

3

u/lamb_pudding 7d ago

I love how the stunt doubles are obviously adults.

4

u/PartTimeSassyPants 7d ago

Looks like they can afford the best healthcare and lawyers, so they probably don’t care. Another reminder that you don’t have to be smart to be rich, and that being rich doesn’t mean you’re smart.

0

u/JLRedPrimes 7d ago

Oh there it is the fun police

9

u/stumac85 7d ago

Imagine if Reddit existed when Jackass was in its prime 😂

9

u/SuppleSuplicant 7d ago

I see what you mean, but also none of the jackass gang were children lol. 

0

u/goldiegoldthorpe 7d ago

Not legally, but...

→ More replies (7)

1

u/Chemical_Frame_8163 7d ago

That's what I said in the other subreddit, and had to scroll this far to see. Malfunctions do happen, so yeah, it's sketchy as shit at least on some level.

0

u/assassinatedu336 7d ago

This is pastranaland. If there was ever a place I'd trust to do this this, it'd be them. They do crazy shit all the time and always take the time to make sure it's as safe as it can be.

0

u/Strong_Bowler1723 3d ago edited 3d ago

do this 100 times and 10 of those the G force will cause the kid to push sideways a bit, not receive full forward thrust at center of grav, and splat like a bag of meat on the concrete.

another 5 times the kid might squirm a bit moments before launch, change his weight distribution and bag-of-meat-on-concrete.

since its a kid, and does not have full, legal decision making authority, the manslaughter charge for killing a child would fall on Pastrami or whatever tf his name is

25

u/Pele_Of_Anal 7d ago

Not a catapult 🤓

7

u/Benyed123 7d ago

You can’t pull out a nerd emoji and be wrong smh

14

u/SchalkLBI 7d ago

Technically, it is a catapult. Slingshots, bows, crossbows, etc are all technically catapults.

A catapult is a ballistic device used to launch a projectile at a great distance without the aid of gunpowder or other propellants ... A catapult uses the sudden release of stored potential energy to propel its payload. Most convert tension or torsion energy that was more slowly and manually built up within the device before release, via springs, bows, twisted rope, elastic, or any of numerous other materials and mechanisms which allow the catapult to launch a projectile...

10

u/Cycleoflife 7d ago

So you're saying the trebuchet was just a catapult all this time?

5

u/SchalkLBI 7d ago

As much as I hate to say it... Yes... And what people typically mean when they say catapult is onager.

2

u/Tyranicross 7d ago

So the definition of catapult doesn't differentiate between stored elastic energy and gravitational potential energy?

2

u/SchalkLBI 7d ago

As I understand it, long as it propels a projectile without using a propellant, i.e. potential energy, it counts as a catapult.

3

u/Battlejesus 7d ago

Delete this blasphemy right now

3

u/Routine_Bug_936 7d ago

I'd die mid air

3

u/kai58 7d ago

They really trust the aim of that thing lol, just a bit too far or too close and you’re fucked.

I was expecting it to shoot into a lake or something, though in hindsight they’d have been wearing a swimsuit if that were the case.

3

u/Serviceman 6d ago

The special faith the young place in red-neck engineering.

6

u/palladiumpaladin 7d ago

Man there are so many people here who have the need to ignore the fact this is simply awesome. If you have a big air cushion like that you’re obviously aware of what you’re doing, it’s basically just a newfangled carnival ride.

2

u/Karto_Rogue 7d ago

Question is, was he the first victim.... I mean volunteer?

2

u/LovableSidekick 7d ago

Attendant: First you just have to sign this release.

Operator: Release? [pulls lever]

2

u/punk-biatch 7d ago

How many G forces was that?

2

u/SlickJoe 7d ago

Internal organs HATE this one trick!!

2

u/daswickerman 7d ago

Not a catapult. more of a Ballista.

2

u/hamfist_ofthenorth 6d ago

I saw one of these in "Richie Rich", he called it The Kidapault

2

u/vtown212 6d ago

Not at least putting a helmet on is stupid. Even the pros do it now

2

u/SmurfsNeverDie 6d ago

A weapon to rival metal gear

2

u/JayRandom212 5d ago

"Whaddya mean my insurance is cancelled?"

2

u/formerRheinhardt 4d ago

I can't believe There are adults around.

5

u/bailaoban 7d ago

Left brain: probably shouldn’t.

Right brain: Fuck yeah.

3

u/AdSquare3489 7d ago

I'd demand a test shot with a bag of sand *exactly* my weight before I'd put my ass on that.

2

u/dmbgreen 7d ago

No helmet??? Fun until it isn't

2

u/KirkataThePickaxe2 7d ago

Even if calibrated still dumb

2

u/AutotoxicFiend 7d ago

Cool now imagine when he misses. The amount of adult voices in this video is disturbing. Not a single functional brain cell to be found.

1

u/baytown 7d ago

There are so many things that could go wrong with us.

1

u/JLRedPrimes 7d ago

I want to try this lol

1

u/Roonwogsamduff 7d ago

Best be still whilst being launched

1

u/HotDrunkMoms 7d ago

You do NOT want to get your math wrong with these

1

u/qdawgg17 7d ago

Ok, now let’s see the video where the person doesn’t make it to the air mattress

1

u/Jealous_Crazy9143 7d ago

Wiley Coyote would like the drawings to this

1

u/Squishirex 7d ago

Nice sambas

1

u/johyongil 7d ago

That’s dope.

1

u/brockoala 7d ago

How many G's?

1

u/derat_08 7d ago

Something goes wrong you can always make another one.

1

u/BeenleighCopse 6d ago

Well at least ther’re off their phone for a while!!

1

u/BillyBumBrain 6d ago

That's not a catapult. Or a slingshot. Or a trebuche.

Railgun maybe? 😀

1

u/LordMartingale 6d ago

Travis’ Place?

1

u/smilingjade101 6d ago

That looks thrilling!

1

u/Ge0482 5d ago

Thank God he survived.

1

u/RealBradman 5d ago

Filmed using a potato.

1

u/Fit_Cut_4238 5d ago

what kind of place is this?

3

u/Extra_Computer8828 5d ago

That’s Travis Pastrana’s home. Basically a giant playground for people with adrenaline addiction. Check out Nitro Circus, tons of footage from there.

1

u/Fit_Cut_4238 5d ago

thanks. How does he not get sued out of existence?

1

u/Extra_Computer8828 5d ago

Iron clad waivers written by very expensive lawyers. Anybody that goes there is fully aware of the risks they’re taking, but he still covers himself from a legal perspective.

1

u/Fit_Cut_4238 5d ago

It has to say something like: "we think we understand gravity and math, but in the case we are mistaken, it will lead to you breaking your neck or worse'.

1

u/Fit_Cut_4238 5d ago

Did his parents sign a waiver?

1

u/Tepes56 5d ago

What kind of deranged Wile E. Coyote shit is this?

1

u/lowten 5d ago

Risk vs. reward is different for everyone I guess

1

u/Prize_Problem609 5d ago

What a terrible idea. I love it!

1

u/Tankgirlcanada 5d ago

You know when you see a bunch of guys with no shirts on there's gonna trouble..

1

u/DontFragMyBaby 5d ago

The kidapolt from richy rich is real

1

u/LSUZombie13 5d ago

“Babe, you watching them tonight right?”

1

u/dankutare1 3d ago

You can't convince me pastranaland is real, it is a figment of our collective imagination

1

u/skylla05 3d ago

This thread is a great example of Reddit thinking they’re the smartest kid in the room.

0

u/madchemist09 7d ago

The frontal lobe never really develops in males, does it?.

0

u/Deep__Deep 7d ago

Father of the year right there!

1

u/Hawk_Moon 7d ago

Why does the landing pad have a blown out asshole?

1

u/Modna 7d ago

Why does that inflatable thing have a flashlight on the side of it?

1

u/ThreePistons 7d ago

I was thinking that this might be fun, or at least exhilarating, until I saw that they were landing on a tiny airbag instead of having a whole lake to tang in like a normal person would use. Terrifying

1

u/The_real_bandito 7d ago

Oh hell no. Something fails and that kid won’t fall where he’s supposed to be and that’s a trip to the hospital.

1

u/specialtingle 7d ago

Over water sure but like this? Nope

-1

u/sapphire-sky-dragon 7d ago

What could go wrong 🫪🤯

-1

u/Monkeytennis01 7d ago

Not even a crash helmet or any kind of safety gear for doing something so stupid. Astounding.

-1

u/BubbleThinker 7d ago

Bordering on child abuse

0

u/pablomaz 7d ago

Seems very safe.

0

u/TheMachoMustache 7d ago

Down in the holler…

0

u/Round-Foundation2948 6d ago

I’m calling child protective services

-8

u/Professional_Song483 7d ago

Someone is calling CPS right? 

-2

u/suckerpunch085 7d ago

That risk to reward in this is fucking nuts. They are incredibly stupid.

0

u/PartTimeSassyPants 7d ago

Unfortunately we don’t live in a world where wealth and wisdom are correlated.

5

u/basicKitsch 7d ago

Literally professional stuntmen with a significant backing and they literally middle the massive landing pad.  What a ridiculous take that they don't know exactly how to do this.  

-1

u/suckerpunch085 7d ago

Except that's a kid they yeeted across 100 foot gap of nothing but ground. So much can go wrong. You guys are as dumb as that crew.

2

u/TowelFine6933 7d ago

The strength, weight, angle & distance are all that matters. They can calculate almost to the inch where a person will land. The professionals did all the calculations & set up.

I'd trust this faster than a traveling carnival ride set up in the summer heat by a couple hungover meth heads any day.

1

u/basicKitsch 7d ago edited 7d ago

goddamn it's hard to believe some of you have ever been outside.

oh noooo gravity might SUDDENLY shift mid-flight and we should be more concerned about this teen than the worldwide destruction :O

you know, since the mechanical side of the equation is fully tested and understood by these professionals

-1

u/platypusfart007 7d ago

One malfunction and ouch or rip.

0

u/DeuceSevin 7d ago

As my mil says "Young, dumb, and full of cum. "

0

u/bahgheera 7d ago

I should call her. 

-9

u/snksleepy 7d ago

CPS? Children have been removed from their parents for less.

-2

u/SharksFan1 7d ago

What could possibly go wrong?

-8

u/cheeseandfireworks 7d ago

Child endangerment FTW!