The Internet loves a fun challenge. Over the years, thousands of people have doused themselves in ice for the charitable ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, frozen in action for the Mannequin Challenge, and even picked up garbage for the Trash Bag Challenge. The latest to join this never-ending trend of viral competitions is the Bottle Cap Challenge.
One of the most athletically-demanding challenges to go viral, it requires participants to unscrew a bottle with their foot, while attempting a swift roundhouse kick. Started by Taekwondo instructor and fighter Farabi Davletchin in late June 2019, the challenge started to pick up steam after American musician John Mayer nailed the task in early July. Mayer dared English actor Jason Statham to do the same, who in turn passed the baton to director Guy Ritchie. The celebrity videos, posted on social media apps like Instagram, caught the public's attention and a new Internet trend was born.
Though the initial videos mimicked Davletchin's deft martial arts move, participants, which now include corporations, have gotten increasingly creative since. Extreme Sandbox, a US-based heavy equipment adventure company, slid off the bottle cap of an oil gallon with a 26-ton Komatsu excavator.
German automobile manufacturer BMW used the challenge to showcase its vehicles and the driving skills of the company's head instructor, Claudia Hürtgen. Meanwhile, Minnesota-based Matsuura Machinery performed the trick with one of its 5-axis automated machining tools!
Though all the videos are entertaining, the best one, thus far, is of Ultimate Fighting Champion (UFC) legend and current Light Heavyweight champ Jon Jones attempting the challenge. In the clip, the boxer pretends to attempt the roundhouse kick but shies away from actually kicking off the bottle cap. He then calmly leans over, and unscrews the lid the old-fashioned way — with his hands!
Thinking of participating in the fun challenge? Here are a few tips from experts. Start by loosening the liquid-filled bottle's lid until only a few twists remain. Then place it on a ledge or table at chest height, or even lower, depending on your kicking prowess. Use a plastic bottle so there is no danger of it breaking in case you topple the whole thing over and, most importantly, make sure your camera person is ready to capture your feat.
Resources: Metro.co.uk, Interestingengineering.com
