A Surprisingly Inspiring Human Pyramid Contest [VIDEO]

Every two years, castellers come together in Tarragona, Spain to test their strength, balance, courage and common sense. And it's beautiful.

Dec 21, 2014

Tags:

A Surprisingly Inspiring Human Pyramid Contest [VIDEO] | Every two years, castellers come together in Tarragona, Spain to test their strength, balance, courage and common sense. And it's beautiful.

Every two years, the fine people of Tarragona, Spain come together to see who can build the highest most incricate human castle - or castell in Catalan. This mesmerizing tradition takes an incredible amount of strength and balance - as well as considerable guts. So it comes as no surprise that the casteller's official motto is "strength, balance, courage and common sense."
Shot by Spain-based photographer Mike Randolph, this beautiful three-minute clip shows the strong, stocky men at the foundations and the delicate, agile little girls at the heights of the dynamic pyramid structures - along with the excitement of being in the crowd for the biannual celebration. Of particular note are the shots which show the dissembling of the towers - in both controlled form and unexpected tumbles.
This centuries-old tradition embodies community and coming together, the close ties of teammates, as well as the amazing feats that the human body can achieve. And UNESCO agrees - in 2010 castells were declared to be among the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

RELATED:
Why Go to Spain? [VIDEO]
6 Awe-Inspiring National Parks That Must Be Seen to Be Believed [LIST]
The Comings and Goings of a Miniaturized Barcelona [VIDEO]