IC MEDIA RELEASE: FOR IMMEDIATE USE
15th November 2009
Multiple Guinness Records smashed in one day at Impossibility Challenger
A frenzy of record-breaking took place at the 16th Impossibility Challenger, with 11 Guinness and 7 world records broken.
The event was held on 14 November 2009 in Auckland’s Trusts Stadium in New Zealand, the first time it has ever occurred outside of Europe.
Swiss weightlifter Albert Walter set two Guinness world records for ripping a 1440 page phone book in 6:83 seconds and breaking a 30cm long, 9.5mm wide carpenter’s nail in 3.24 minutes, both with his bare hands.
Alastair Galpin, one of the most prolific Guinness record breakers in the world, set nine new Guinness records in the same day, including the most high-fives in a minute and the furthest distance spitting a ping pong ball.
Four employees of New Zealand tyre company Frank Allen Tyres smashed the world record for the fastest 4 wheel tyre change on a car, reducing it from 2 min 30 sec to 1 min 25 sec.
20 people constructed a 270.3 metre balloon chain in one hour, beating the previous world record of 216 metres.
Plenty of new world records were set including the fastest mile pushing someone in a supermarket trolley (8 min 14 sec), the furthest distance travelled by a balloon powered car, the tallest hat made from balloons (3 metres 20 centimetres) and the world’s largest dot to dot drawing (10 metres square)
The Impossibility Challenger was founded in 1982 by the accomplished weightlifter and runner Sri Chinmoy (1931-2007) to promote self-transcendence, the ideal of challenging limits and going beyond previous accomplishments.
Media Contact: Budhsamudra Knox
Phone: 64 9 629 1556
Fax: 64 9 309 3439
Mobile: 64 021 853 125
Email: info@impossibilitychallenger.com
Website: www.impossibilitychallenger.com
Entrants at the Impossibility-Challenger will try to break as many world and Guinness records as they can in one day. Thanks to their generous sponsorship the event will take place at the Waitakere Trusts Stadium Douglas Track on November 14th, 2009. 9am-4pm.
Confirmed attempts for Guinness and world records so far include:
- Alistair Galpin, the New Zealander with the most Guinness World Records and the second most prolific Guinness record breaker of the last decade will attempt a Guinness record or two, including the most high fives in a minute.
- Albert Walter from Switzerland, the 2004 Swiss bench press champion who according to Guinness can rip phone books apart faster than anyone else, is planning to break his own record of tearing apart 10 phone books in the fastest possible time. Plus a second world record attempt of breaking in half a series of carpenter’s nails.
- A team of New Zealand balloonists are to construct the world’s tallest balloon hat, and the worlds widest balloon hat.
- A team of local kiwis will attempt to construct and connect the world’s largest dot to dot drawing.
- 200 school children from local primary schools will attempt the 100x4m relay world record.
- Students from Golden Grove Primary School will attempt a distance world record for a balloon powered car.
- Frank Allen Tyres will mount an attempt on the 4 man car wheel change world record.
- A team of twenty people will attempt to break the longest balloon chain world record.
- An assault will be made to set a new world record in the one mile pairs shopping trolley run. One sits inside while the other runs.
Previous Impossibility-Challengers overseas have included the fastest mile on stilts, the most hours playing the cello and the world record for continuous laughter. The Impossibility-Challenger organisers say they are confident that New Zealand is a good choice for this year’s event.
“We think Kiwis have what it takes to step up to the mark” said New Zealand Director Budhsamudra Knox. “There are still plenty of spaces for individuals or groups to attempt a Guinness or world record on the day”.