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World Records (Miscellaneous)

Yithian

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Origami train bid hits buffers

A museum's attempt to set a unique origami record has been scuppered by the Guinness Book of World Records.
Paper-folding enthusiasts gathered at the National Railway Museum in York to create a train of 1,550 wagons, headed by a paper model of Stephenson's Rocket.

Origami enthusiasts also sent in paper wagons from all over the world for the record attempt, including Colombia, the US, Germany and Japan.

But officials from Guinness World Records rejected the 254 metre construction, dismissing the bid as "too specialised".

They said in a statement: "We simply cannot have a record for everything that can possibly be made from origami - animals, trains or otherwise."

The only recognised record for paper folding is the world's largest origami crane, set in 1999.

Museum spokesman Keira Meheux said: "Naturally we are very disappointed with the news, particularly since so many people worked so hard to create the train.

"However, all is not lost because the event was incredibly popular with our visitors, who thoroughly enjoyed making their own wagons to add to the train."

A spokesman for the British Origami Society said he was philosophical about the failed bid because it was still a "spectacular event".
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/north_yorkshire/3183316.stm

=================================

Mean gits.
:mad:
 
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Man Creates 1,300-Pound Baseball

Mon Mar 15, 7:49 AM ET

ALEXANDRIA, Ind. - A man who's spent years applying layers of paint to a baseball that's grown to enormous proportions is hoping to have it declared the world's largest ball of paint.

For the past 27 years, Mike Carmichael has been painting a baseball that hangs in a shed behind his home. It now weighs 1,300 pounds, is more than 35 inches in diameter and has a 111-inch circumference due to more than 18,000 layers of paint.

On Saturday, Carmichael watched as a crew took a core sample from the green ball that's needed before it can earn a spot in the Guinness Book of Records.

In honor of Carmichael's work, Saturday was declared Ball of Paint Day in Alexandria, about 25 miles northeast of Indianapolis. It starting with a proclamation honoring Carmichael on the steps of City Hall, followed by a photo exhibit and ending with the core sample taken at Carmichael's home.

"I am not going to start any more baseballs," Carmichael declared.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...57&e=10&u=/ap/20040315/ap_on_fe_st/paint_ball
 
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I just don't get the whole Guinness Book of Records. A) Who cares? and B) Who cares enough to actually try to break a record?

I mean for example there was loads of stuff about this Pen Hadow bloke doing whatever it is to reach the North Pole (or maybe it's the South Pole) and then there was that pair of women (were they doing it separately?) trying to get to the NP or SP solo or something? Then there was the helicopter people trying to circumnavigate the globe or something who crashed. I mean this whole
- first/oldest/youngest
- man/woman/custard-brained fool
to
- climb x mountain/reach the N/S Pole/cross the atlantic/pacific/english channel/go round the world
- solo/on foot/on a moped/on their hands hands & knees/backwards/in a cheesegrater

I just don't get it.
 
Wasn't the point of the original Guiness Book of Records to solve drunken arguments in pubs?
It's not the people who do it, it's the people who argue about it that I worry about. All these folks have too much time on their hands. If they put as much effort into creating world peace or protecting the enviroment, then maybe the world would be a better place. :hmm:
 
Source

Malaysian woman moves in with scorpions
(Reuters)

22 August 2004

KUALA LUMPUR - Scorpions will be the bedfellows of a 24-year-old Malaysian woman for more than a month, as she tries to set a new world record for living with the venomous animals.


Nur Malena Hassan moved into a glass box with 6,000 scorpions at a shopping mall in Kuantan, about 250 km (about 160 miles) east of Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, Malaysia’s New Sunday Times reported.

Nur Malena showed no sign of fear as she entered the box, the paper reported, and scorpions soon began crawling over her body as medical staff and officials from the Guinness World Book of Records monitored her.

Kanchana Ketkaw of neighbouring Thailand, who lived with more than 3,000 scorpions for 31 days in 2002, holds the current record.

Nur Malena, who may leave the glass box for only 15 minutes a day, was to have started her record attempt several days ago but struggled to find enough scorpions, the paper reported.
 
When I read stuff like this I'm always reminded of one of Lard's (Mark & Lard of course) catchphrases, "No neeeed". Anyway:

Record bid by 1,109 leapfroggers

One of the oddest world records looks to have been broken as more than 1,000 people leapfrogged simultaneously.

The event held at Sir Richard Branson's home in Kidlington, Oxfordshire, was part of the Leap for London campaign to bring the Olympics to the capital.

Sir Richard, champion swimmer Sharron Davies and London 2012 Olympics bid chief executive Keith Mills, took part in the record attempt on Saturday.

The 1,109 who participated were mostly Virgin staff enjoying a work party.

Afterwards, Sir Richard said: "Everybody had a lot of fun even if one or two will be spending time with their chiropractors and back specialists next week."

Adjudicators from the Guinness Book of Records had to cancel at the last minute.

But Sir Richard's record is expected to stand when Guinness staff see a list of signatures from every Virgin participant as well as reels of video footage of the event.


Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/england/oxfordshire/3628842.stm

Published: 2004/09/05 09:54:40 GMT

© BBC MMIV
 
Scorpion woman ends record stunt

Scorpion woman ends record stunt

A Malaysian woman has emerged from a room full of scorpions after claiming a record for living 36 days with the deadly creatures. Nur Malena Hassan, 27, stepped out of the enclosure in the eastern Malaysian city of Kuantan, cheered by supporters.

She told reporters she had got what she wanted after being stung 17 times.

For more than a month Ms Hassan, nicknamed the Scorpion Queen, had shared a glass box in a shopping mall with 3,069 poisonous arachnids.

After ending her stunt on Saturday, she said she could not wait to get back to regular activities - like shopping.

"My mum is here and we're at a mall, so I'm starting right away," the Associated Press news agency quoted her as saying.


I got what I wanted after enduring pain from 17 stings and spending 36 days in there
Nur Malena Hassan

A spokeswoman for the Malaysia Book of Records said a video and other documentation would be sent to the Guinness Book of World Records in London.
Thousands of people visited the mall to observe the attempt, as Ms Hassan slept, ate, read magazines and watched television amid the scorpions.

She made no sudden movement, to avoid getting stung.

Second record

After five years of training, Ms Hassan has built up resistance to scorpion stings - but she can still faint if stung three times in quick succession.

A doctor was on standby to treat her if necessary.

This is not Ms Hassan's first stunt.

She first broke the world record in 2001, after spending 30 days in a box with 2,700 scorpions.

But a year later she was outdone by Kanchana Ketkeaw of Thailand, who lived for 31 days with 3,400 animals.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/3689592.stm

Published: 2004/09/25 21:20:44 GMT

© BBC MMIV
 
Well not exactly pointless as it was for charidee but still...

Mon, January 24, 2005
No need to needle this guy

Now that's a sharp look

By CP

CALGARY -- Brent Moffatt underwent surgery Saturday, but it wasn't to correct any health problems. The 36-year-old, who is known as the Human Pincushion, sat anxiously in a sterile room waiting to be inserted with 1,000 needles and 1,000 rings all over his body.

"I'll have a couple pounds of metal," Moffatt said as a room full of well-wishers stood waiting.

TSUNAMI FUNDRAISER

Moffatt has already broken three world records with his piercings and did so once again on Saturday with his weekend fundraiser hoping to raise $5,000 for Tsunami relief aid through the Red Cross.

"Initially we planned to raise some money for local charities, but the way we're looking at it is, people here in Canada, no matter how bad off you are, you can find a roof over your head or a meal," Moffatt said before the first needle was inserted.

"With these people overseas, they don't even have access to that."

The thin Moffatt, with stretched ear lobes and a tattooed face, knew the underlying danger before attempting his feat.

He had lost close to two litres of blood in a previous attempt and knows he'll have to take great care to avoid infection.

"I would never advise anybody to do this," he warned. "I'm on antibiotics and I have years of medical training so I know how to take care of my body. A single piercing infection, in theory, can kill you. You compound that 1,000 times -- it's not something you want to take lightly."

Moffatt also suffers from kidney disease, complicating the dangers even more.

In 2004 in Winnipeg, Moffatt paid tribute to those killed on Sept. 11 by having 900 needles inserted. That feat earned him a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Winnipeg Sun
 
Kelvin Bags World Chips Record with Non-Stop Fry-in

By Sam Marsden, PA

A fish and chip shop owner tonight claimed to have set a new record for the world’s biggest “bag” of chips.

Kelvin Baines had beaten the previous record by 4.40pm after frying up more than 820lb (373kg) at The Chip Stop in Plymouth
[...]

Before starting, Mr Baines estimated he would use 176 pints (100 litres) of oil, 33lb (15kg) of salt, 53 pints (30 litres) of vinegar, 6,000 chip forks and 53 pints (30 litres) of sauce.
[...]

The record set by Mr Baines, who is originally from Blackfield, Hants, will have to be validated by Guinness World Records before it is officially recognised.

The Scotsman
 
This cold have graced many threads but this one will serve:

Elvis singalong record is smashed

An Elvis impersonator is thought to have smashed the world record for the longest singalong of the King's songs.

Gary Jay, 41, of March, Cambridgeshire, completed his marathon on Friday after 51 hours and four minutes of songs.

The old record of 42 hours, 16 minutes and eight seconds was held by an Elvis impersonator from Germany.

Mr Jay, who originally set the record at Planet Hollywood in London in 2002, is now awaiting official confirmation from the Guinness Book of Records.

To reclaim the title Mr Jay had to perform the marathon to a reasonable standard and in full Elvis costume with just one 15 minute break every four hours.

The rock and roll milestone was celebrated with a cup of tea.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/camb ... 280065.stm
 
Drumming record broken in Kenya

Nine men in Kenya have claimed the world's record for non-stop drumming.
The drummers - eight Kenyans and a Nigerian - kept playing for 100 hours, smashing the previous record set last year by 16 hours.

They started their attempt to pound their way into the Guinness Book of Records last Friday in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.

They drummed away in eight-hour shifts of three, enduring scorching days and chilly nights, to reach their goal.

The marathon finished at 1500 local time (1200GMT) to the standing ovation of a big crowd which turned up outside the Kenya International Conference Centre.
[...]

The new record must still be confirmed by the Guinness Book of Records.

The longest individual drumming record is currently being held by Australia's Arulanantham Suresh Joachim who pounded non-stop for 84 hours last year.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/w ... 308555.stm
Published: 2005/03/01 16:01:17 GMT

© BBC MMV
 
More than 40 surfers on giant board in Australia break world record
The Associated Press

CANBERRA, Australia — More than 40 surfers cruised into the record books Saturday when they successfully rode a giant surfboard off an Australian beach, breaking the previous world record set by an English team of 14 people in 2003.

More than 5,000 people gathered Saturday to watch riders conquer the 40-foot-long, 10-foot-wide board, newspapers reported. The board, created by board shaper Nev Hyman, arrived by semitrailer. More than 20 people carried it to the surf.

The riders at the Queensland state tourist city, Gold Coast, where the Quiksilver and Roxy Pro surf competitions were held, included pro surfers Chris Ward of California and Australian champion Danny Wills.

Newspaper reports of how many riders took part ranged from 44 to 47.
Hyman said the four-minute ride to shore was worth the monthlong effort to build the board.

“It was the best four minutes of my surfing life. It went in strong and straight,” Hyman told Queensland’s The Sunday Mail newspaper.

The board that set the 2003 record was 36 feet long.

Web version here, with a picture of the board, but alas, not the record-breaking itself.
 
Man Sets Record With 157 Squibs on Body


Apr 18, 5:48 PM (ET)

FAIRMONT, W.Va. (AP) - A man has set a Guinness world record for the most squibs to be set off on a human body. On April 11, his 35th birthday, Mike Daugherty donned a wet suit with 160 squibs riveted to it. Squibs are similar to blasting caps and are used to simulate gunshots in movies.

At Screen Gems Studios in Wilmington, N.C., Daugherty was surrounded by family, paramedics, a special effects crew and some firefighters when special effects artist Will Purcell detonated the charges. All but three exploded, earning Daugherty his place in the record book.

"I was scared to death when we were doing it," Daugherty said. "But it wasn't that bad."

Daugherty, who works part-time as a stuntman, said his quest to set the record began as a joke while working on another film. It soon developed into much more after he contacted the Guinness Book of Records.

"No stunt man in the history of film has ever attempted anything like this," Daugherty said. "I was the first."

The stunt was filmed for a documentary called "Shooting the Record" that Daugherty said is in post-production. The behind-the-scenes film, directed by David Hill and produced by David Beavis, will include interviews and the stunt itself.

---

Information from: Times West Virginian, http://www.timeswv.com

Source
 
Irishman fails in bee record bid

An Irish beekeeper has failed to take the world record for attracting the most bees onto his body after managing a 200,000-strong 'bee beard'.
Wearing little more than underpants and goggles, Philip McCabe, 59, failed to top the 1998 record set in the US of 87.5lb (40kg), or 350,000 bees
.

After two hours on scales, he was forced to give up because of numb feet.

"The bees we have in Ireland, this native black bee, is different than the one that holds the record," he said.

'No stings'

Mr McCabe, who is the head of the Irish Beekeepers Association, said he suffered no stings in the stunt - held at Cahir, Co Tipperary - until he jumped off the scales and was stung seven times.

Dozens of people watched his attempt, which was to raise money for charitable causes in Africa.

Beekeepers were on hand with six hives full of bees for the feat.

Using a funnel, they placed the insects onto his abdomen, where they climbed up to rest on his chin.

They were attracted to his body by the scent or pheromones given off by the queen bee which Mr McCabe had placed on his chin.
[...]

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/w ... 623497.stm
Published: 2005/06/26 06:28:34 GMT

© BBC MMV
 
Emperor said:
For stuff that you wonder "Why bother?" - OK I know such things can get you into the Guiness Book of Records:

https://forums.forteana.org/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=11117

but that always struck me as seocndary to soem of these people and that is just a way to legitimise ther weird obsessions.

Like:

Man Creates 1,300-Pound Baseball

Here's the homepage for the Carmichaels, replete with photo of said baseball.

The baseball has approx. 18,960 coats of paint, they're aiming for at least 20,000 coats before they'll consider it finished. :?
 
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And filed under records you wonder why people bothered setting:

Sky-high dinner breaks world record

July 20, 2005, 9:53:37

An explorer has broken one of the strangest world records - by hosting a dinner party at 24,000 feet.

David Hempleman-Adams used a specially designed balloon to fly fellow adventurers, Bear Grylls and Lieutenant Commander Alan Veal, to 24,262ft.

Once they were high enough Grylls and Veal, dressed in evening wear, climbed down to a table hanging 40ft below the balloon and tucked into a three course meal.

Hempleman-Adam had to keep the balloon flying at the right altitude over Ston Easton Park in Somerset, England.

He revealed: "It was a fun stunt but was at the same time very dangerous.

There were potentially a lot of things that could have gone wrong."

www.femalefirst.co.uk/bizarre/75732004.htm
 
Man and dog bounce to new record

Man and dog bounce to new record

A new world record was set in Edinburgh after an American completed 206 jumps on a pogo stick in one minute.
Shopkeeper Ashrita Furman carried out the attempt next to the statue of Greyfriars Bobby, while carrying a dog.

Mr Furman, who has the highest number of Guinness World Records, had to complete in excess of 173 jumps - more than two per second.

He now holds 102 records and said he was already planning his next stunt.


Mr Furman has been up Mount Fuji on a pogo stick, bounced a mile on a space hopper along the Great Wall of China and pushed an orange at speed with his nose.
He also holds records for backwards cycling, an underwater pogo attempt and most hop-scotch games in 24 hours.

The record breaker insisted the dog, which he carried in honour of the legendary terrier who stood guard by his master's grave, was unharmed.


Mr Furman - who also has records for balancing a huge stack of beer glasses on his chin, using the world's largest hula hoop and somersaulting - added that dogs he had used in training seemed to enjoy the experience and had, literally, leapt to the challenge.

However, he had asked for a vet to be on stand-by in an effort to reassure onlookers.

After his success, Mr Furman said: "The editor of the Guinness book is Scottish and he said 'now listen here, you've been around the world and you have not broken a record in Scotland'.

"So why not break a record in Scotland?"




Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/s ... 349538.stm

Published: 2005/10/17 13:13:07 GMT

© BBC MMV
 
Dunno this made me do that:

Nipple hair a world-beater

Thu, October 13, 2005
By TIM KOCUR, Special To The Free Press


Tyler Ing, a Western engineering student, has a nipple hair that measures 8.89 centimetres (3.5 inches).

It might not be the type of world record you would take home to mother, but it is a world record and it was set here in London.

It's the length of a black hair on Tyler Ing's right nipple. It's 8.89 centimetres (3.5 inches) long -- long enough to make the 2006 Guinness Book of Records as the longest nipple hair on Earth.

"There are a few contenders on me, but that's the longest one," said Ing, 20, a University of Western Ontario engineering student.

Ing got the idea to apply after constant hassling from friends and the encouragement of his girlfriend.

"After you've been made fun of enough in the hockey change room, you might as well put it in Guinness," he said.

The patches of hair growing on his nipples have never been trimmed or plucked.

And he doesn't do anything special to protect the record holder.

Ing applied to Guinness in March 2004, when the hair was officially measured.

The hair is compared in the 2006 edition of Guinness with other notables such as the world's longest armpit hair.

Ing's record isn't all that weird when compared with others, says Pat Ort, a manager at the Guinness World Record Museum in Niagara Falls. "You look through the book and you see things you wouldn't imagine people would do to break a record."

Ing said his "parents looked at me real weird for a few minutes.

"Now they're proud. My mom shows the book to all her friends."

http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/News/Local/ ... 8-sun.html
 
Belly dancers create world record

Belly dancers create world record
Belly dancers in Scotland have shaken their way to a new world record.
A group of 134 dancers from across the world converged on Nairn where their five-minute routine gave them an entry in the Guinness Book of Records.

The event was the brainchild of local councillor and keen belly dancer Liz MacDonald, 43, who sent DVDs of the routine to a variety of groups.

She said: "It was fantastic. We were all in our sparkly belly dancing costumes so it was really colourful."

Special reception

She added: "There wasn't a record for the largest number of belly dancers performing a routine, so we contacted the Guinness Book of Records and they accepted it as a challenge.

"I'm just delighted so many people came along and helped us set a new record. Everyone did really well."

After shaking their stuff, the belly dancers enjoyed a special reception, which included performances from musicians from Turkey, Lebanon and Italy.

As well as setting a new record, the group also raised more than £1,000 for a local charity which helps disabled people take part in sports.



Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/s ... 390070.stm

Published: 2005/10/30 11:20:27 GMT

© BBC MMV
 
Published online: 20 December 2005;
| doi:10.1038/news051219-1

Man breaks world records with Antarctic swim
How can a person wearing only Speedo trunks survive the icy sea?
Michael Hopkin

British swimmer Lewis Pugh this week broke two world records, for the most southerly swim ever undertaken in the ocean, and the longest-duration polar swim ever completed. In completing the two feats, he battled temperatures that would kill you or me in minutes. So what does he have that we mortals don't?

On 14 December, Pugh swam a kilometre in the seas off the Antarctic Peninsula at a latitude of 65º South, some of the world's coldest waters, where the sea's saltiness allows temperatures to dip to just below 0 ºC without freezing. The feat, which took 18 minutes and 10 seconds, required him not only to maintain a safe body temperature throughout the ordeal, but also to stave off the crippling effects of the body's natural reaction to icy water.

Two days later, he swam a mile off the nearby Deception Island, spending 30 minutes and 30 seconds in the water - longer than any other polar swimmer. Physiologist Tim Noakes of the University of Cape Town, South Africa, who accompanied Pugh on the trip, said: "I did not believe it possible to swim for 30 and a half minutes in 2-3 ºC water in just Speedo trunks."

"Normal people would probably be dead within a minute because of the cold-shock reflex," says James Butcher of British medical journal The Lancet1, which profiled Pugh ahead of his record attempt. Less than a second after hitting the water, the lungs constrict, causing an untrained person to hyperventilate, taking up to 60 gasping breaths per minute. Heart rate and blood pressure also skyrocket as the heart panics in response to the shock. Pugh says he felt "screaming pain" all over his body as soon as he dived in.

"It's an exaggerated fight-or-flight response," explains exercise physiologist Michael Tipton of the University of Portsmouth, UK. The paralysing effect of this response means that, in icy water, the body becomes its own worst enemy; not that this is typically a problem. "In our normal day-to-day experience, we don't tend to fall into cold water," Tipton points out.

Cold shower

Fortunately for Pugh, overcoming the response is fairly easy. "Anybody can develop a habituation to the cold," says Tipton. "You can do it with as little as five or six 5-minute immersions."

Tipton and his colleagues have found that, with enough exposure to cold water, volunteers can even be trained not to shiver, allowing muscles to work more effectively. In the weeks leading up to his swim, Pugh took frequent cold showers as well as training in icy water.

Of course, preventing the body from shutting down is just half the battle - Pugh and his support team also had to ensure that his body temperature remained above 35 ºC, which is generally regarded as the cut-off point for hypothermia. "The thing that keeps him going is the ability to produce large amounts of heat," Tipton says.

The thing that keeps him going is the ability to produce large amounts of heat.

Michael Tipton
University of Portsmouth



Pugh is aided in this by what Noakes calls 'anticipatory thermogenesis'. Just the sight of icy water is enough to send his body temperature ratcheting up to 38 ºC, giving him a head-start against the ravages to come.

"Mental imagery can have a profound effect on physical responses," says Tipton. The same thing happens on a smaller scale when the average person anticipates giving a speech, for example, as their body releases stress hormones and ups its metabolic rate.

Fit or fat

Once in the water, the best way to maintain body heat is to produce a lot of it through frantic swimming, and to stay well insulated. The best long-distance swimmers tend to have a combination of these "fitness and fatness" factors, Tipton says.

Women tend to be relatively better than men at outdoor swimming, because their tendency to have more fat over their leg and arm muscles keeps them better insulated. This is important during active swimming, when blood is pumped into the arms and legs and so can accelerate heat loss. The previous record-holder for polar swimming is US female Lynne Cox, who has attributed her success in part to her 36% body fat (most women have a percentage in the 20s).

But thinner men and women can gain back an advantage by being fit. "If you see a thin outdoor swimmer, the chances are they're really fast," says Tipton. Pugh falls into this category. Besides his record as the only person to have swum at both ends of the Earth, he is also the fastest man to swim around South Africa's Robben Island, completing the circuit in just three hours and 42 minutes in 2004.

References
Butcher J., et al. Lancet, 366. S23 - S24 (2005).


Story from [email protected]:
http://news.nature.com//news/2005/051219/051219-1.html
http://news.nature.com//news/2005/051219/051219-1.html
 
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That Titon chappie seems to suggest it is a matter of training but other reports say it is down to his rather unique physiology:

23 December 2005 14:24


The 5-Minute Interview: Lewis Gordon Pugh

Long-distance swimmer and world record breaker
Published: 23 December 2005

Lewis Gordon Pugh, 36, is the first person to have completed a long-distance swim in both the Arctic and Antarctic. During his swims, which both broke world records for the longest polar swim, he faced temperatures of between 2 and 3C - in his Speedo trunks.

Right now I am feeling...

Very, very happy. It took a lot of hard work, planning and preparation.

I would say the difficulty level...

On a scale of one to ten was 100! The swim at Deception Island was by far the hardest swim I've ever done. Antarctica is a very unforgiving environment. If you don't train properly you'll die.

I first found out I was able to take the cold...

About two years ago. I saw the sports scientist Professor Noakes. He confirmed my core body temperature is a lot higher then other people. Normal temperature is 37C, but mine is 38.4C. It doesn't sound like a difference, but it is enormous.

http://news.independent.co.uk/people/pr ... 334815.ece

Arctic Swim Sets New Record, Swimmer Astounds Scientists

December 21, 2005 8:00 a.m. EST

Christina Ficara - All Headline News Staff Reporter

Cape Town, South Africa (AHN) - Extreme swimmer Lewis Pugh sets a new world record for the most southerly long-distance swim, after swimming the icy Antarctic waters at 65 degrees south. The record was set with a 0.6-mile swim, making Pugh the first person to accomplish such a feat in the world's coldest seas.

Pugh explains, "As soon as I dived in, I had a screaming pain all over my body."

With only a swimsuit, cap and goggles, Pugh took less than 19 minutes to complete the swim near Vernadsky, the Ukrainian scientific base on Antarctica, in 32-degree water and heavy snow.

Pugh admits, "I am not sure how I kept on going for so long. I had to concentrate all the time and swim as fast as I could to keep the cold out."

Pugh, who trained for months in an icy plastic pool in Cape Town's harbor, has astounded scientists with his ability to raise his body temperature before swimming, allowing him to survive temperatures that only a few can endure.

Leading South African sports scientist Tim Noakes explains, "When he enters the water, his core body temperature is extremely high and he is able to maintain this temperature for up to 15 minutes in ice cold water. To my knowledge, this capacity has not been previously described."

www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7001577856
 
Man Aims for New Snake-Kissing Record


Jan 12, 7:20 AM (ET)

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - A kiss is just a kiss, but it may prove to be the kiss of death for a Malaysian snake charmer who will attempt to set a new world record by planting 50 smooches on a venomous snake in 10 minutes.

Shahimi Abdul Hamid, 33, will perform the dangerous feat on March 11 in a bid to break the current record held by an American man who kissed a poisonous snake 30 times in an unspecified time, the national news agency Bernama said Thursday.

Shahini has urged Malaysians to support him in his endeavor, saying he "wants to prove that Asians can also be champions in taming poisonous snakes."

He could not be reached for comments.

Bernama said Shahimi displayed his prowess at a news conference late Wednesday by kissing a three-meter long King Cobra 21 times. His bid in March will be filmed by U.S. television show Ripley's Believe It Or Not, Bernama said.

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20060112/D8F34JB01.html
 
Malaysian makes hissstory with snake-kissing feat

Sun Mar 19, 2:15 PM ET

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - A former Malaysian snake farm worker may have set a new world record after kissing a poisonous snake 51 times in three minutes, a report said.
ADVERTISEMENT

Shahimi Abdul Hamid's feat in kissing the 4.6 metre (14 feet) long King Cobra weighing 10 kilograms (22 pounds) 51 times in three minutes and one second was a record waiting to be verified, the Sunday Star newspaper said.

Records showed that Gordon Cates from Florida, the United States kissed 11 cobras without a time limit in September 1999.

Cates had used an iron bar to protect himself while Shahimi used only his bare hands.

Asked why he did such a dangerous act on Saturday, Shahimi said: "Malaysians should know that if one has sufficient knowledge of reptiles, there would be no problem in dealing with them."

http://tinyurl.com/lhf96
 
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