Local Man Practices Dangerous Hobby

Perhaps you’ve seen balanced columns of rounded stones standing upright on Encinitas beaches. People select beach stones by size, shape and color and carefully stack them two or even three feet high in what can be called works of art.

The stone stackers stand or squat alongside their creations so they avoid injury in case of a collapse. In other words, they don’t sit and straddle the column as they stack.

The man in the photo above is not stacking beach stones, but he’s using similar techniques — with one notable exception. He’s straddling his growing stone column and risking collapse onto a vital area. The man is living dangerously.

To avoid grave injury, public health professionals recommend not straddling the column while stacking stones.