USA: New York man sets new records for underwater pogo sticking and underwater hula hooping

It was like any other day at the Nassau County Aquatic Center on Wednesday (August 1), with young kids frolicking in the shallow end of the pool and lifeguards watching adults swim laps. All seemed utterly unaware of the history was being made just below the water's surface. Two new Guinness World Records were being established by New Yorker Ashrita Furman, the man who holds more of them than anyone in history. Bouncing his way across the bottom of the pool on a pogo stick, Furman traveled 1,680 feet, establishing a new Guinness World Record. Furman is well aquatinted with the pogo stick, having set numerous records on the device including the fastest mile and the longest distance. So he approached the people at Guinness about establishing an underwater pogo stick category. "I submitted it to Guinness and they thought it was a good idea and they gave me the guidelines. So I had to do at least a quarter of a mile and I was able to it and it was really exciting actually. I think there's a future for this sport." After a short break, Furman set out to break his own record for underwater hula hooping. His old record for continually hula hooping underwater was 2 minutes, 20 seconds. On Wednesday he cruised past this mark to end at 2 minutes, 38 seconds. "The biggest challenge really is figuring out how to make your body move to keep this hula hoop twirling. It's really an all-body exercise and it's especially tough on your quads and your abs and it's just so after a while you just start getting tired," said Furman. Once the people at Guinness Records confirm the records, Furman will have 66 current Guinness World Records, including one for the most Guinness Book of Records. Other records held by Furman include the fastest mile running with a milk bottle balanced on his head, the most beer glasses balanced on his chin, and the fastest mile pushing an orange with his nose. Furman said his next challenge will be the fastest mile jump roping while hoping on one foot.

ITN Source | August 7, 2007

Tags:. .kids. .traveled. .move. .short. .keep