Man vs Machine: Longboarders Chase Lorry

“Shocking,” "incredibly stupid" and "idiotic". These are the words used by New Zealand authorities to describe the exploits of a group of six riders who like to surf on tarmac and not on water. Exploits which would have remained unknown, hadn't one of them had the brilliant idea to attach a camera to his helmet and go on for a wild race.

Longboarding is a type of extreme sport practiced around the world, usually on empty stretches of road, on oversized skateboards. But that apparently was not enough for the group of adrenaline junkies from New Zealand.

The six went on a head-to-head race against a lorry on the State Highway 1, south of Auckland. Although there's no indication of the speed the six were traveling at, the speed limit for lorries in the area is, according to The Telegraph, 56 mph (90 km/h).

According to the source, the group of longboarders has been trekking the North Island for about two weeks this summer.

"What concerns me is the speed they get up to and the lack of control they have got. They've got no brakes. If something goes wrong in front of them, they're terribly exposed to risk," superintendent John Kelly was quoted as saying by the source.

What's really really interesting is that, even if caught, the six men will pretty much get off with a slap on the wrist and, worst case scenario, will be accused of careless driving or failing to keep left. This is because, according to the local law, skateboarders are defined as pedestrians. The State Highway 1 is considered an expressway, on which pedestrians and cyclists are allowed.