# Escalator Spin > Escalator Spin is a 2008 viral video meme where people lie horizontally across two opposing escalator handrails, spinning like human helicopters—dubbed "Escalopter. Escalator Spin is a viral video trend where a person lies horizontally across two adjacent escalator handrails moving in opposite directions, causing them to rotate in place like a human helicopter. The trend started appearing on YouTube around July 2006 and went viral in mid-2008 after a clip of a blonde woman spinning gained massive traction across blogs and video-sharing sites[2]. The stunt also picked up the nickname "Escalopter," a portmanteau of "escalator" and "helicopter"[5]. ## Origin Early Escalator Spin videos began showing up on YouTube around July 2006[2]. These initial uploads were low-key, pulling modest view counts under 50,000 views even for the most-watched clips. The stunt existed as a niche curiosity for nearly two years before it found a wider audience. The breakthrough came on June 18, 2008, when a video titled "Pretty blond girl spinning on an escalator" was posted to Bofunk.com[2]. The watermarked clip was then reposted to YouTube, where the combination of the visually amusing stunt and the attractive subject drew significantly more attention than any previous Escalator Spin video. - **Platform:** YouTube (early uploads), Bofunk.com (viral spread) - **Creator:** Unknown (community-created stunt trend), madassk (Escalopter.com founder) - **Date:** 2006 ## Overview The Escalator Spin is a simple but visually striking stunt. A person positions themselves horizontally between two escalator handrails that are moving in opposite directions. The friction of the rubber handrail surfaces against their body creates a perpetual slow rotation, spinning them around like a rotisserie chicken in a shopping mall[2]. The physics behind it involve the opposing forces of the two handrails creating torque on the person's body, with the rubber surface providing enough grip to maintain continuous rotation[3]. The stunt is distinct from Asiacopter, a stop-motion GIF series that started on YTMND in July 2005[2]. While both involve spinning people, Escalator Spin uses real physics and actual escalators rather than animation tricks. ## How It Spread After the Bofunk video hit YouTube, it spread quickly through the blog ecosystem of the late 2000s. Gizmodo picked it up, describing the moment as one where "humanity advances one step forward into its destiny" thanks to some combination of science, exploration, and "somebody's excessive alcohol intake"[1]. The video also landed on I-am-Bored and VideoSift, two popular content aggregators of the era[2]. The trend spawned GIF derivatives on YTMND, bringing it into the remix culture of that platform[2]. By late 2008, Escalator Spin had gone international, with YouTubers across Europe and Asia posting their own attempts at the stunt. In October 2008, a German YouTuber known as madassk launched a dedicated website called Escalopter.com to collect and share Escalator Spin videos[2]. The site framed the stunt with a clean definition: "The novel activity executed on an escalator, whereby subject lies rigid with mid to lower back touching both handrails moving in opposing directions and spinning slowly around in place"[5]. The term "Escalopter" had been coined by Rommel Santor on July 8, 2008[5], and an Urban Dictionary entry followed shortly after, formalizing the portmanteau in internet slang[4]. ## How to Use The Escalator Spin is a physical stunt rather than an image template. To attempt it (at your own risk): 1. Find a pair of side-by-side escalators moving in opposite directions 2. Position yourself horizontally so your back or midsection rests across both handrails 3. Let the opposing motion of the rubber handrails rotate your body 4. Have someone film it ## Fun Facts - The term "Escalopter" was coined on July 8, 2008, by Rommel Santor, just weeks after the blonde girl video went viral[5]. - Gizmodo's write-up credited the spinning girl video to three possible causes: "a scientific discovery, a voyage into the unknown, or somebody's excessive alcohol intake"[1]. - The physics behind the spin rely on friction between the body and the rubber escalator handrails, not centripetal force in the traditional sense, though the KYM entry references centripetal force[2]. - Despite going international, early pre-viral Escalator Spin videos never broke 50,000 views[2]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Escalator Spin? Escalator Spin is a viral video trend where someone lies across two escalator handrails moving in opposite directions, causing their body to rotate continuously[2]. ### Where did Escalator Spin come from? The earliest videos appeared on YouTube around July 2006, but the trend went viral after a clip was posted to Bofunk.com on June 18, 2008[2]. ### What does Escalator Spin mean? It refers to the literal spinning motion created when a person's body bridges two escalator handrails going in opposite directions. The friction rotates them in place[2]. ### How do you use Escalator Spin? It's a physical stunt filmed on video. You lie across two adjacent escalator handrails and let the opposing motion spin your body while someone records[5]. ### Is Escalator Spin still popular? No. The trend peaked in 2008 and largely faded after that. The dedicated Escalopter.com site and the original viral clips are artifacts of late-2000s internet culture[2]. ### What does "Escalopter" mean? Escalopter is a portmanteau of "escalator" and "helicopter," coined by Rommel Santor on July 8, 2008, to describe the spinning stunt[5]. ### Who made the most famous Escalator Spin video? The identity of the blonde woman in the June 2008 viral clip is unknown. The video was first posted to Bofunk.com before spreading to YouTube and blogs like Gizmodo[1]. ## References 1. [Girl Spins On Escalator Thanks to Physics or Magic]() 2. [Human Check]() 3. [Girl Spins On Escalator Thanks to Physics or Magic]() 4. [Escalator Spin - Know Your Meme]() 5. [The Dark Knight]() 6. [Centripetal force]() 7. [Reactive centrifugal force]() 8. [Urban Dictionary: Escalopter]() 9. [Circular motion - Wikipedia]() 10. [Escalator + Helicopter = Escalopter.com]() 11. [Human Check]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/escalator-spin Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library