Guinness Gathers the Weird and Wonderful for 2004 By Paul Majendie LONDON (Reuters) - If you can pluck a chicken in under 4.4 seconds or swallow 95 worms in half a minute, your chance of glory awaits in the ultimate achievers' book. Keep bell-ringing till you are 101 years old or unhook 17 bras with one hand in under a minute and your place is assured in Guinness World Records. Or why not try something completely different -- invite round your 982 closest friends and set the record for the most people to sit on whoopee cushions at the same time. "People really do the most remarkable things," said Guinness editor Claire Folkard, reflecting on the book that gets 60,000 record claims a year. "The fascination is just endless," she told Reuters on the eve of the 2004 edition being published in Britain. "The crazy stuff is a lot of fun." Guinness, whose sales look set to top 100 million by the end of this year, even has its own entry as the world's most successful copyright book. It is only outsold by the Bible and the Koran. The breathtaking and the bizarre abound in the latest edition from an American woman who boasts the largest breasts in the world to the dog with the longest ears. Dutchman Niek Vermeulen makes his claim to fame with a collection of 3,240 airline sick bags. Malta has the world's lowest road accident rate. A Russian woman had 69 children. The book was launched in 1954, brainchild of Hugh Beaver, managing director of the Guinness Brewery. He was out shooting in Ireland and got into an argument about whether the golden plover ranked as Europe's fastest game bird. Believing that records sparked pub and bar disputes around the world, he decided the time was right to produce the ultimate reference book for superlatives. So, almost 50 years on, readers can stand up in the pub and confidently proclaim "Not many people know that.... -- Switzerland's Jean Francois Vernetti has the world's largest collection of hotel "Do Not Disturb" signs -- Thai medicine man Hoo Sateow boast the world's longest hair which he believes holds the key to his healing powers -- The world's largest Santa gathering was in Bralanda, Sweden when 2,685 Father Christmases paraded down the main street, to the eternal confusion of the town's children -- American Bernie Barker claims to be the world's oldest male stripper, starting at the age of 60 to get in shape after recovering from prostate cancer http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...583&e=9&u=/nm/20030925/od_nm/life_guinness_dc I tried to set the World Record Bench Press for a 123 pounder - I hit the wall at 255.
Lots of working out. I used to warm up at home before going into the gym (to look pumped walking in) - until 1 day I couldn't quite finish that last rep (w/160). What a feeling knowing the only place that bar is coming is back down - on my chest with just enough strength to tilt a squirm out. I contemplated steroids to get me over the hump but my gf -wisely- talked me out it. I was amazed at the Russian lady with 69 kids - How's that possible? And who wants to go for 70?
The bra unhooking speed is amazing, though when are you ever going to be in that situation? If a guy is good at unhooking them, of course that means he has had a lot of practice. Which can be good or bad depending on how you look at it...
Well I wasn't going to bring this up, but after the bra talk what the hell. I was once at a party with some good friends, and I don't remember how this came about really, but I think I set a record for most boobies touched in a second. About ten girls (fully clothed) lined up in a circle around me and I slapped all of their boobs in one motion in about a second. Do you think that would make it?
Dude, what kind of party was that? I have tried to set the world record in chugging beers down. Many, many times. Although I probably failed, it has not stopped me from practicing!
Yes, and please invite me to the next one! I once tried to set a record for the longest fart. Missed it by that much.
Just a crawfish boil. Then later that night some of us drunkenly tried to re-create Leonardo's Last Supper painting for a photo (ala white trash version). Recognize anyone KingCheetah?
So...who are you in that pic? Also, I withdraw my name from consideration for trying to beat your record after having seen the pic.
Great photo, MR. MEOWGI. The dude on the upper right is a ringer for G. H. W. Bush (the Elder ) when he was younger.
I have been in the Guinness book. not my name perse, but the town I lived in had a SUNY school. every year they had a spring event welcoming all the new freshmen, and building school spirit. plenty of people from town went including my family. My parents were grad students at the time anyways. but every year they would try to break some record in the book. succeeding several times. I was apart of the worlds largest simultanious frisbee throw, and the worlds largest Kazoo band a few times. cant really remember any others. but it was really fun and exciting as a 10 year old. That school always was trying to break stupid records now that I think about it. They made a big deal about a fireworks display off of a sculpture and it being a world record. Some high up must have been obsessed.
