All About Ghosting

I just watched the Jay Leno Show and saw a funny skit with Hamish and Andy - two Aussies who are taking the world by storm with their new sport "Personal Space Invading" or more specifically, ghosting. The ghosting sport comes in two forms - normal ghosting and speed ghosting. Think it looks like fun? Here's the lowdown.

The Rules of Ghosting

Simply put, the ghoster finds a target on the street. The objective is to follow them as close as possible for as long as possible without the person noticing. The clock starts once you begin following them. It stops once they notice you. You win if you managed to ghost someone the longest.

The Tie Braker

In both skits that I've seen with Hamish and Andy they did a tie breaker. Both skits used "speed ghosting" to break the tie. Speed ghosting is the same exact thing as regular speed ghosting only this time the target is moving faster. This could include runners, skateboarders, roller bladders, etc.

The clock starts once you start following them. It stops once they notice you. The winner of this round wins the match. In this case, it's all about speed and efficiency.

Ghosting Tips

Now that you know the rules I thought I'd offer some tips based on my observations from watching the experts in action.

• People with MP3 Players. In general, people with MP3 players are easier to ghost because it takes them a few seconds to become aware of their environment. This is especially true of runners.

• Enter with flair. On Leno, Hamish popped out of the sand to follow someone during the speed ghosting round. This is flair. It doesn't necessarily insure your victory, but it sure is fun to watch!

• Watch out for backpacks. One of the rounds that I witnessed was over before it even began because the ghoster bumped right into the backpack. The round lasted only a few seconds.

• Use your environment. While searching for someone to ghost, use your environment. If you can blend with your surroundings it will be easier to enter into a ghosting situation without being noticed.

Organize Your Own Ghosting Competitions

Do you want to try it for yourself? Find some friends to compete against and grab your camera. Take turns ghosting and narrating and post your results on Youtube. Make it your own. Hamish and Andy have their own flair. Find your unique personality and just have fun with it.

In case you haven't seen it, I've included a link to one of Hamish and Andy's skits in the links section so you can see professional ghosting in action.