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POLICE say the latest internet craze "planking" isn't illegal but have warned enthusiasts against lying across public or private property in case they are charged with trespass.
The phenomenon, thought to have been sparked by rugby league players with too much time on their hands, involves lying face-down on an object – the stranger the better – with toes pointed and arms rigid against one’s sides.

Online communities have sprung up espousing the benefits of planking, and egging people on to share their peculiar plank-related antics with one another.

Facebook page Planking Australia has more than 16,100 fans and features hundreds of photos of people lying across desks, train tracks, in front of buses, on horseback, over stairwells, fire hydrants, on art-installations, goalposts, motorbikes and, even other plankers.

One intrepid planker even posted a photo of himself planking at the historical ruins of Petra, Jordan.


The craze became the centre of attention after Channel 9's Today show host Karl Stefanovic tried his hand at planking.

It has even been taken up in the United Kingdom, where a new group of just 20 people has formed, while people in Turkey also seem to have jumped on board.

Manly NRL star David "Wolfman" Williams is a keen planker - he has a personal web page featuring many images of himself planking, including one during a game after scoring a try and on TV.


The phenomenon has come into the spotlight after a 20-year-old planker from Brisbane was charged by police in Gladstone for attempting the "ultimate plank’’ – lying across a police car.

He was issued with a court summons and charged with being found on police establishment without lawful excuse.

Gladstone police were not amused.

Sergeant Matthew Russell said the activity, although light-hearted, was dangerous.

``The activity is potentially dangerous, as proponents of the movement try to out-do each other by planking on structures and in precarious positions, putting themselves and others at risk of harm,’’ he said.

``Entering a property or premises, for any reason, without permission, is trespassing and anyone caught doing this will be charged.’’

Planker Nate Shaw, who was charged on Tuesday in Gladstone, told Nine news he just wanted to become the ``best planker there is’’.

`` I know they're doing their job, but I don't really see the problem with a few guys having a bit of fun,’’ he said.

``It's not hurting anyone. I haven't caused any damage. It's not breaking anything."


But Queensland Police warned planking enthusiasts faced being charged with committing an unauthorised high-risk activity or with trespass.

``Planking itself isn’t an offence,’’ a spokesman said.

``The man (in Gladstone) was charged with (being) found on police establishment without lawful excuse.

``It is basically a trespass charge as the man had no lawful excuse to be on a police establishment.’’

Most plankers were protective the ``sport’’ had come under fire from police and claimed it could even make it to the Olympics one day.

Others passionately posted that the ``ultimate plank is one all of us will engage in sooner or later’’, when we die.

The Facebook group is promoting May 25 as annual planking day, to encourage new plankers and group-planking.

Gladstone police were not amused.

Australia is the only country in which Burger King does not operate under its own name. When the company set about establishing operations down under in 1971, it found that its business name was already trademarked by a takeaway food shop in Adelaide.[49] As a result, Burger King provided the Australian franchisee, Jack Cowin, with a list of possible alternative names derived from pre-existing trademarks already registered by Burger King and its then corporate parent Pillsbury, that could be used to name the Australian restaurants. Cowin selected the "Hungry Jack" brand name, one of Pillsbury's US pancake mixture products, and slightly changed the name to a possessive form by adding an apostrophe "s" forming the new name Hungry Jack's.[50][notes 17] After the expiration of the trademark in the late 1990s, Burger King unsuccessfully tried to introduce the brand to the continent. After losing a lawsuit filed against it by Hungry Jack's ownership, the company ceded the territory to its franchisee.[notes 17]

@meric@nwom@n wrote:This too shall pass. Remember how kids used to see how many they could stuff into a car or goldfish swallowing?

A man has plunged to his death after "planking" on a seventh-storey balcony in Brisbane's inner-south this morning, police have confirmed.

The 20-year-old man fell from the balcony of a unit block on Main Street in Kangaroo Point shortly before 4.30am.

He was trying to lay face down on the balcony railing of his apartment when he suddenly fell.

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Paramedics spent 20 minutes trying to revive the man at the scene, however, he died a short time later.

Planking, which involves somebody lying flat on their stomach in unusual or different environments, is a burgeoning internet craze that has attracted thousands of fans right across Australia.

Photographs of their exploits are usually shared through social media sites such as Facebook.

Deputy Police Commissioner Ross Barnett today said his worst fears about planking had been realised.

“This morning we have seen a young man take this activity a step further and attempt to plank on a balcony. Unfortunately he has tragically fallen to his death,” he said.

Mr Barnett said the 20-year-old and another person had been out during the night and had been planking in various spots on their way home.

"He has tragically lost his footing and fallen to the ground below," he said.

"It is what we've been fearing."

Mr Barnett warned people against taking unnecessary risks in a bid to out-do each other for the ultimate photograph.

“Accepting a risk of injury for yourself is one thing, but the potential is there for others to be injured as a result of your behaviour,’’ he said.

Earlier this week, a man was charged in Gladstone for trespassing on police property when he "planked" across the back of a police car.

"If other people break the law during this activity they will be charged as well," Mr Barnett said.

“But no penalty will ever return this young man to his family and friends.

‘‘This is a tragedy and our condolences go to the family.”

People have already condemned the internet craze on Facebook following the man’s death.

‘‘One life has been lost because of this! Think of what could happen if it went wrong. Don't be stupid ... think before you do this!’’ one person wrote.

Investigations are continuing.

Lord Jim wrote:Planking is really nothing new....

People have been found lying face down, rigid and immobilized at Leonard Cohen concerts for years....

Lord Jim wrote:Planking is really nothing new....

People have been found lying face down, rigid and immobilized at Leonard Cohen concerts for years....