Lava Rock Rock Revolution

Although America is full of diversity, with people originating from different backgrounds, and being raised in various environments, many of us still share some common bonds. Apple pie, baseball (for better or worse), and of course, the lava game. Admit it. You all played the lava game when you were a kid; trying to jump from furniture to furniture in the living room with out touching the floor, pretending the carpet was actually lava that would incinerate your feet if touched, or consume your entire body if you were unfortunate enough to fall completely to the floor. In the really difficult spots, you might even throw a couch cushion onto the floor to act as a stepping stone. (Deep down, we knew this was cheating though. Even as a 4 yr old, we comprehended that a couch cushion obviously burns in lava, and the surface tension of the molten rock would not support our weight for very long.)

Why do I bring this up you ask? Well, while taking a stroll down State Street mall in Madison, WI this past weekend, my siblings ( JoJo and Equipoise) and I discovered that what first appeared to be a modern art/stone/seating arrangement, was actually a full sized outdoor lava game. Or, as I dubbed it, Lava Rock Rock Revolution. (A name derived from the popular arcade game, Dance Dance Revolution II)

Hold onto your hats, the lava game isn’t just for kids anymore. Much more difficult than the kid’s version, and much more dangerous, Lava Rock Rock Revolution provides hours of enjoyment for the entire family. Many of the moves require careful analysis, and can only be completed with exact placement of the hands and feet both before and after jumping. Part of the fun involves figuring out the best pedestals to start and finish on, since it is easy to find yourself stranded, and needing to back track.



The back course

We started on the back course, which is in my opinion, slightly easier, but more technical, and more fun. After clearing that, we attempted a couple of alternate routes involving trees, and lampposts; they didn’t really improve on time, but did mix it up a little more. From there, we moved onto the front course, which is harder, with some tougher moves, but shorter. There was one move in particular, that took me forever to get. At one point we were even experimenting with a rock to tree to metal newspaper box to rock sequence, before we finally figured out the proper move, which was quite difficult. After clearing this board, we then worked on clearing it backwards, which provided completely new challenges.

On the front course

All in all, this was a great time; we probably spent a good 1 ½ hours playing around, and that was on the way TO the bar. Who knows what kind of fun could be experienced on the way BACK from the bars.

I would highly recommend this to anyone who happens to find themselves in Madison. The two boards are located at the intersections of Carroll, Mifflin, State streets; right by capital square. If any police try to prevent you from jumping on the “art,” ignore them, they obviously don’t know the true splendor of Lava Rock Rock Revolution. I won't post any of the solutions, but trust me, both courses can be solved.