AS the storms that lashed Scotland on Thursday began to pick up strength, Conor Guichan was just another Scots teenager enjoying an unexpected afternoon off school.
But by the time the winds had spent their fury, his video clip of a storm-tossed, 15ft diameter trampoline careering through a Fife street had become a YouTube sensation.
Less than 24 hours later, the surreal images – accompanied by the 15-year-old yelling “Oh my God, trampoline” – have clocked up more than 630,000 hits.
Parodies and remixes of the bizarre 13 seconds of footage have started to appear online and Conor is even making money from T-shirt sales.
The 5th year pupil at Beath High – Ian Rankin’s alma mater – has become an instant celebrity among fellow pupils and even his teacher got in on the act, showing the video on the classroom projector.
Surprised
Conor, from Cowdenbeath, had no idea he was about to become an internet star when he started filming the effects of the storm, dubbed “Hurricane Bawbag”, through the window of his mother’s home on his iPhone 4S.
He said: “I was just trying to film the lamp post outside my house when the trampoline flew past the window.
“I was really shocked -it was such an unusual thing to see. I was actually a bit worried that it may hit a car.”
Conor said a friend, Craig Allan, 15, suggested putting the clip on YouTube.
“I didn’t have an account,” admitted Conor, “so I uploaded it on his.
“He was the one who told me how many hits it was getting, I couldn’t believe it! I don’t upload many videos so it surprised me how many people liked it.”
Once on YouTube, the number of hits exploded with people watching from as far afield as Greenland, Lebanon and Australia.
Conor added: “I was shocked and surprised at the reaction to the video. I never noticed how big it was getting until one of my friends found out and phoned me, I couldn’t believe it.
“I’ve had over 1,500 friend requests on Facebook now and people are saying how great the video is and how much of a legend I am.
“People have been telling me how the video has made them laugh all day.
Conor said his film debut was the talk of his school. “Everyone’s been shouting ‘trampoline’ at me,” he said.
“When I walked in to registration this morning the teacher even had put it up on the projector.”
Conor described his favourite subjects at school as craft and administration, adding that he wants to be a construction worker.
“I am also really interested in computer games but I don’t really have any plans to make anymore YouTube videos,” he said.
“I am happy to cash in on my five minutes of fame though. There’s a company putting out T-shirts that I am making a profit from and I have also sent the video in to You’ve Been Framed, so you never know.”
The £7 T-shirts, sold by twochip clothing, immortalise Conor’s catchphrase: “OMG trampoline.” The enterprising teenager has negotiated a 12% cut of the price.
Conor said his three sisters were particularly excited by the attention the trampoline clip had generated.
“Everyone has been saying how proud they are and it makes me really happy that everyone likes the clip. I am just really shocked at all the attention,” he said.
Parodies
Conor’s mother today revealed her “voice acting” part in the clip.
Jillian Guichan, a 41-year-old social worker, said she was the mystery woman heard yelling in the background: “Oh yah pig.”
Mrs Guichan said: “Conor was sitting in his room on the Xbox in the dark and didn’t even realise how windy it was.
“I called him through to show him and he went to film a tall lamp post outside of our window and literally a second later this trampoline came flying by.”
She added: “The response to the clip has been crazy, it’s completely hilarious. It has been all over Facebook and Youtube and has had hits from all over the world. Conor has had people contact him from over the world.
“It just goes to show that even at 15 years old teenagers can be entertained by more than just computer games.”
Mrs Guichan said Conor was enjoying all the attention he had received since posting the video on Youtube.
“He is enjoying it all, he is a kid after all. I think he’s hoping he can make a bit of a profit out of it too,” she joked.
Comments on the YouTube site included “you can jump up and down on me …but can never take my freedom!!” from lowgeemudbone.
“This is seriously dangerous, but this made me laugh. :),” wrote LadyStonecut
Vexec15 went for a Family Guy parody, writing: “A solitary killer, the trampoline stalks it’s prey…the trampoline can consume eight times it’s body weight….. the lawn chairs will have to wait their turn”.
Parodies of Connor’s video then started to appear on Youtube.
In one version, by bagpie21,the original 13 second clip is expanded to almost a minute.
Dance music plays in the background while the now famous cries of “Oh my God, Trampoline” and “Oh yah Pig” are repeatedly played.
Others chose to overlay the audio from the clip onto hit American TV show Family Guy.
In sheepy770’s version, news correspondent Olly – famous for shouting single word responses to anchor Todd Tucker’s questions – bellows “Oh, My God, Trampoline” when asked “Sounds rough Olly. Do you have an umbrella?”
Today, the star of the piece – the trampoline – was found propped against a wall a quarter of a mile away. So far, no-one in Cowdenbeath has come forward to reclaim it.
