Teens Are Flipping For The Newest Viral Video Challenge

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- People have been flipping out over the newest viral video sensation.

It's called the 'bottle flipping challenge' and it's just what it sounds like.

All you need is a bottle of water, and a flat surface for it to land on.

As CBS2's Elise Finch explained, the goal of the challenge is to flip a mostly empty bottle of water and have it land upright.

"It's fun just to go out with your friends and practice. Just throw up the bottle and see if you can do it or not," 7th grader, Aiden O'Sullivan explained.

The latest viral challenge started when a North Carolina teen flipped a bottle of water at a high school talent show.

He walked onto the stage to dramatic music, performed his bottle flip, and the crowd went wild.

After the video made the rounds on social media, thousands of kids and some adults across the country began trying to duplicate the seemingly simple task.

It's straight forward, but not as easy as it looks, and does require some practice.

"It's hard. You really have to swerve your hand. You have to spin it a couple of time too, so it's really hard," O'Sullivan said.

Parents beware, for some kids it takes a lot of practice to nail the trick, which can be irritating.

"I don't mind it, but at the same time it's like I'm going to help you two more times, and then I'm going to get back to what I have to do," James Lewis said.

Still, parents and caregivers said they prefer it to other viral video challenges that have been downright dangerous.

"It's harmless. It's just a fun little thing to test physics and see if you can land a bottle upright," Conor O'Sullivan said.

Some said the key to the perfect landing is to make sure the bottle is only 1/4 full when you toss it.

The challenge hit the internet back in May. It's been gaining popularity ever since.