When I was kid, my dad (a stock broker at the time) had a client who either A) set a world record for pogo-sticking up the stairs of the Statue of Liberty, B) wanted to set a world record for pogo-sticking up the stairs of the Statue of Liberty, or C) mentioned something about pogo-sticks and the Statue of Liberty, and I melded these two things together into one idea. Regardless of which option it was (Dad, do you remember?), I was very impressed. Ever since, I’ve really wanted to set a world record. I thought about things I could do—build the world’s largest rubber band ball, turn the most somersaults in a row, hum the most songs backwards. For years, my theory was that if I could just find something obscure enough that I’d have no competition, I could do it. But you’d be surprised at what counts as “obscure.” Everything I’ve thought of has already been done, and by someone who could do it better/longer then me.
That is, until yesterday, when I saw this story about a group of students in Wales who set the world record for having the most people dressed as Smurfs in one place—2,510 of them to be exact. Seriously, each person did nothing but paint themselves blue, put on a silly hat, and show up to some night club. [Telegraph] Keep reading »
