It’s one of the craziest ‘traditions’ we’ve seen and, unsurprisingly, it takes place in the United States. In Alaska, since 2005, they have taken to celebrating the 4th of July, American Independence Day, by throwing cars off a cliff.
Apparently it all stems from an accident involving a local woman who ran over a moose. The impact caused so much damage to her car (a Volvo) that her husband got tired of trying to repair it and, to get rid of it, took the easy way out: he threw it off a cliff (by putting rocks on the accelerator). As life would have it… it ended up becoming a tradition.
The ‘show’ takes place every year at Glacier View, near the town of Anchorage. It’s like the Crazy Cars… but with a twist, because it’s about driving cars (sometimes in pairs), pick-up trucks, vans with caravans included… and even a limousine down a ravine, to the cheers of the masses.
And how do they do it? Because, logically, the cars are not manned, but they are catapulted into the void with the engine running and accelerating. The system is simple. With one strap they block the steering so that the car is straight and aligned towards the mound that will act as a springboard and with another they open the throttle so that the car shoots off.
The event has become increasingly popular and in the latest video, from earlier this year, you can see the crowds of people crowding at the foot of the cliff, which is almost 100 metres high. In addition, it has also gradually become established that the decoration of the car, usually junk, is at least patriotic, since it is such a fitting day.
Of course, the destruction derby of cars is just one more of the acts of celebration of the 4th of July, although it is undoubtedly the most eye-catching… and chanted by the attendees who, as can be seen in the images, number in the thousands.
And then what happens to the cars? Alaska is a country where the citizens take care of their environment with zeal, so once the cars have fulfilled their recreational function, they are collected and recycled. Even the fire brigade is ready and willing to swoop down the cliff and take action if the impact sets fire to the grass growing on the walls.
