Two men, 20,000km apart, created an ‘Earth Sandwich’ — Slices of bread laser-etched with special design
Picture this: you’re on a beach in Auckland, New Zealand, holding a slice of bread.
At the exact same moment, someone 20,000 kilometers away in rural Spain is doing the same.
Together, you’ve just made an “Earth sandwich,” with 12,724km of planet Earth as the filling.
That’s exactly what Etienne Naude and Angel Sierra pulled off, turning a whimsical idea into a global sensation that’s got people talking.
This project, reported by BBC News, showcases how a bit of creativity and technology can connect people across the globe.
Origins of the Earth Sandwich
The Earth sandwich concept was first popularized in 2006 by American artist Ze Frank through his influential video blog The Show (Ze Frank).
Ze challenged his viewers, known as “Sports Racers,” to place two slices of bread on opposite sides of the Earth simultaneously, creating a sandwich with the planet as the filling.
The first successful attempt was by brothers Duncan and Jon Rawlinson in Spain and Morgan in New Zealand, using baguette slices.
Ze even provided a Google Maps tool to help find antipodal points, though that tool is no longer active.
Since then, others have tried, but not all attempts have been verified as true antipodal sandwiches, as precision is key.
Meet the Sandwich Makers
Etienne Naude, a 19-year-old computer science student at Auckland University, had been dreaming of creating an Earth sandwich for years.
“I wanted to do this for ages,” he told BBC News, “but finding someone on the exact opposite side of the globe was trickier than I thought.”
His passion for geography and technology drove him to take on this challenge.
Angel Sierra, a 34-year-old chef from southern Spain, brought a different perspective.
“I didn’t even know Earth sandwiches were a thing,” he said, “but I felt like I was part of something bigger than myself.”
As a chef, Sierra appreciated the universal appeal of bread, a staple that connects cultures worldwide.
Connecting Across Continents
Finding a partner on the other side of the world was no small feat.
Naude first asked friends and family if they knew anyone in southern Spain, the antipodal region to Auckland, but came up empty-handed.
Two months before the event, he turned to Reddit, posting in the r/spain subreddit.
“I got a few replies,” Naude said, “and found one person close to the precise location.”
That person was Sierra, who lives near Olvera, southeast of Seville.
Their connection via Reddit (Reddit Post) shows how social media can bridge vast geographical divides for creative projects.
Planning the Perfect Sandwich
Coordinating across a 12-hour time difference was a logistical challenge.
“It was quite hard to organize,” Naude admitted. “There’s lots of things to arrange, such as the kind of bread, the time, the location, et cetera.”
They used an online tool called “tunnel to the other side of the Earth” to pinpoint their antipodal coordinates.
Naude’s spot was at Bucklands Beach in Auckland, just a few hundred meters from his home.
Sierra had to travel 11km to a rural spot near Olvera.
“It’s quite tough to find a spot which isn’t water on the New Zealand end—and where public roads or paths intersect on both sides,” Naude explained.
Their meticulous planning ensured precision, with one Reddit user noting they were within a foot of the exact antipodal point.
The Sandwich Day
On the day of the event, Naude went the extra mile, using a high-end laser cutter to burn an “Earth sandwich” design onto 20 slices of white bread, selecting one for the occasion.
“I wanted it to feel special,” he said.
Sierra took a practical approach, using nine slices of unmarked bread to cover the exact spot, accounting for any minor discrepancies.
At the agreed-upon time, Naude stood on Bucklands Beach, with Auckland’s skyline in the distance, while Sierra was surrounded by olive trees and rolling hills in Spain.
They placed their bread slices simultaneously, capturing the moment with photos that would soon go viral.
Online Sensation
The composite image, showing both men, their bread, and their coordinates, was posted on Reddit and quickly gained traction.
Users were amazed by the precision, with one commenting, “This is incredible! I never knew about antipodes until now.”
Another joked, “Now that’s what I call a global sandwich!” The story spread to X, with accounts like @qikipedia noting, “Etienne Naude from New Zealand and Angel Sierra from Spain created an Earth sandwich this week by putting pieces of bread on exact opposite sides of the world” (X Post).
Mainstream outlets, including Hindustan Times, picked up the story, highlighting its global appeal.
The Reddit post sparked discussions about geography, with one user creating a map of land-based antipodal pairs that received thousands of upvotes.
The Science of Antipodes
Antipodes are points on Earth that are diametrically opposite each other through the planet’s core.
According to World Atlas, only about 15% of Earth’s land has an antipodal point that is also land.
For example, the UK, Australia, and most of the US have antipodes in the ocean, while parts of East Asia and South America are antipodal to each other.
New Zealand and Spain are among the few land-based antipodal pairs, making them ideal for such projects.
The concept of antipodes has long fascinated people, from ancient myths to modern art projects like Ze Frank’s, and even appeared in pop culture, such as the 2012 film Total Recall.
More Than Just Bread
While the Earth sandwich may seem like a frivolous stunt, it carries deeper significance.
It demonstrates how technology can facilitate global collaboration and how simple acts can bring people together across vast distances.
“It can help show how people can work together across the globe,” Sierra said.
The project taps into a long-standing human fascination with the “other side” of the world, from 19th-century tales of digging through the Earth to modern art projects.
As Naude put it, “Holidays give me lots of free time to do strange things like this,” but it’s these strange things that remind us of the joy of shared experiences.
Whether you see it as a bit of fun or a profound statement about connectivity, this Earth sandwich proves that even the most distant points can be united by a simple slice of bread.
Additional Context
Since Ze Frank’s 2006 challenge, there have been several Earth sandwich attempts, though many are not verified as true antipodal sandwiches.
A reported 2019 attempt involved a Colorado high school and scientists on Île Amsterdam, but its authenticity is unclear due to limited documentation.
A 2021 X post claimed an Earth sandwich between Nanjing, China, and Galvez, Argentina, but lacks corroboration.
The 2020 attempt by Naude and Sierra remains one of the most well-documented, showcasing the enduring appeal of this quirky concept.
