Ukraine hosts computer destruction championship

Appetite for destruction

More than 300 sledgehammer-wielding, mouse-kicking Ukrainians took part in a competition last weekend to destroy computer equipment in the most spectacular way possible.

The First Open Computer Destruction Championship, held in the central Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhya, were organised by a local radio station and designed to raise awareness about the perils of spending too much time in front of a PC, the BBC
reports.

There were three main events: chucking a keyboard, kicking a computer mouse, and the "creative destruction" of computer monitors. Ironically, winners in each category received computer equipment as a prize (but you probably guessed that already).

Competitors told Ukrainian TV that the event helped purge them of computer angst.

Radio engineer Yevhen Hrytsenko, who threw his keyboard an impressive 40.2 metres to win that event, said he felt "liberated from computer addiction".

"Just recently I busted my monitor at home. I was so angry at it, luckily I didn't destroy the keyboard, so I could throw it here today," he said.

Eastern Europe, and the Ukraine in particular, was a breeding ground for the sport of mobile phone throwing, which has now spread internationally.

Anthropologists are yet to explain why a country with one of the lowest GDP (annual income per head) figures in Europe could spawn such a passion for abusing hi-technology equipment.

If you're tempted to abuse your PC, check out our guide: 102 ways to kill your computer. ®

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