What Is 'Whaling'? Only the Year's Silliest Vine Trend

Vine users are bending over backwards – literally – to impersonate breaching whales

Photo: Courtesy Zach Rowles

There she blows! A new viral trend has Vine users impersonating breaching whales, but not for the reason you think. (OK, it’s exactly for the reason you think – because it’s funny.)

How does #whaling work? It’s simple: You crouch down behind something, and then stand up and fling yourself back like you’re a majestic mammal of the seas. (It’s basically the megapterine version of a back-bend.) Get a friend to film it, post the clip on Vine, and you could be the first celebrity whaler since Ahab.

To get to that level, though, you might need to increase the difficulty level. Get a whole pod of friends and start whaling in groups. Or just follow these examples:

(For best results, click here before continuing.)

Whaling in McDonalds:

(With over 40,000 re-Vines, this video from Vine user Worldchamp Santwon is thought to be the world’s first glimpse of #whaling.)

Whaling at the grocery store:

Whaling in booths:

Whaling with a hair-flip:

Whaling all over town:

Whaling on the roof:

PEOPLE.com is not responsible for any back injuries sustained while #Whaling.

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