Teen mountain climber accused of 'street surfing' - Johnny Strange of Malibu

hosted ^ | May 12

[JoeProBono]

MALIBU (AP) -- A California teen who made headlines as a pioneering mountain climber could face charges for allegedly surfing up the Pacific Coast Highway on top of a car on his way to school.

[JoeProBono]

Johnny Strange, 17, Is Youngest Person To Conquer World's 7 Summits

On June 9, 17-year-old Johnny Strange of Malibu, California successfully reached the summit of Australia’s Mount Kosciuszko, concluding a journey he started when was only twelve -- conquering the world’s seven summits.

Upon reaching the final summit Johnny sent an email to friends and family saying, “"Never let anyone stifle your dreams no matter the feat, for if you have the heart and the courage, impossible is nothing."

When Johnny first set out to climb Mt. Vinson, one of the world’s seven summits, he was a hardheaded 12-year-old kid with something to prove. Five years later, what started out as a challenge, turned into a goal, and has since become a life altering experience for him. In addition to completing the seven summits, a feat many climbers set out to try to achieve, Johnny is now the youngest in the world to have actually done it.

[South40]

I hear truck surfing is popular also.

[sinanju]

Everest and Aconcagua are the only really formidable mountains amongst the seven. And that’s mainly the extreme altitude rather than any technical demands.

The challenge with Mt. Vinson, Antarctica is in the getting there.

It sounds like our boy is a serious adrenaline junkie who likes to risk his neck for the hell of it. I wouldn’t want to sell him life insurance.

[garyhope]

I’m more impressed by the woman interviewing him. Now THERE are some mountains to climb!

[VeniVidiVici]

Now, what dumbass would surf his own vehicle?

[Clock King]

I wouldn’t want to sell him life insurance.

Oh, I don't know... The profit off of his premiums could set me up for a nice house in the Hamptons.

[max americana]

>>I’m more impressed by the woman interviewing him.
****

I was thinking about the same thing too LOL. GMTA. I wasnt looking at him..I drive by Malibu on the weekends anyways from Hollywood.

[sinanju]

Mebbe he’ll finally get that million-buck sponsorship deal any day now...?

Would you buy a set of spark plugs from this man? Nacho chips? Ski bindings?

Aha! Lip pomade!

“Do you know me? Most people don’t, that’s why I carry the...”

[laxcoach]

Is it just me, or does his arms look strange? They look abnormally tapered in the forearms. I wonder if it is the angle of the photo or the nature of the athletics he’s been doing.

Also, any parent who “let’s” their 12 year old start that journey is probably pushing the idea. You could make a strong argument that having a kid climb some of these peaks is child endangerment.

[kcvl]

I could introduce him to the family of a kid who tried the same thing. They buried him his senior year of high school after he fell face first on the highway.

[Tramonto]

She has man hands.

[freedumb2003]

Typical Malibu punk.

I lived in Malibu and can tell you there are 2 types of kids: those who are hyper-driven to compete with their hyper-driven parents or those who decide to be the opposite.

Think of how much money it takes to do all this.

The parents are typical self-absorbed Malibu jerks: “OK, Son, here is a check, go away.”

[Frantzie]

Yeah I was gonna say the kid is “jacked” on adrenaline. He may win The Darwin Award soon.

[blowfish]

Let me be the lone person to congratulate the dude for showing the drive and determination to do something that difficult. It’s easy for all the keyboard warriors to criticize him, but there’s not a person on this board who could match the feat. This guy clearly doesn’t live behind a keyboard or an Xbox.
Once upon a time, we admired young Americans who did difficult, crazy things just for the hell of it. I guess those days have passed.

[JoeProBono]

>crazy things just for the hell of it. I guess those days have passed.

Yeah. Back in the day we used to snow surf by catching a ride holding the back bumper of a passing car. Crazy kids that we were;-[)

[Persevero]

I understand your admiration but I doubt you’d like to be the guy in the car that hits him dead.

To scale the mountain didn’t mess with the rest of us.

He was willing to scar someone or several people for life who’d inadvertently participate in killing him.

I know a person who hit a man running across a freeway. I don’t know that he ever got over it.

[camle]

he’s got a tough act to follow: where does he go from here? after climbing all them mountains, and being on all them TV shows, it can’t be easy going back into teenage mode.

[WOBBLY BOB]

To scale the mountain didn’t mess with the rest of us.

Not yet, but people in need of a chopper SRT insertion usually don't foot the bill for their rescue ,either.

[Persevero]

“Not yet, but people in need of a chopper SRT insertion usually don’t foot the bill for their rescue ,either. “

I wouldn’t know about that, I was just talking about the emotional trauma of injuring/killing a kid with your car, even if it’s not your fault.