Who hasn’t had a daydream about being the best in the world at something? Unfortunately, most of us have already missed our chance to set the Guinness World Record for youngest professional drummer, yet are still a couple decades away for breaking the mark for oldest competing gymnast.
Thankfully, there are accomplishments that aren’t age sensitive, such as the world record for longest relay of people feeding each other, which is exactly what a group of teamwork-minded snack food enthusiasts got together to attempt in Tokyo.
Of course, cost is a factor when you’re trying to set a food-based record, so such an endeavor would require a sponsor. This is where Glico, maker of Japan’s most popular chocolate-coated pretzel stick, Pocky, comes in. The snack maker served as organizer for the event, plus supplied the many, many boxes of Pocky and its salty corporate sibling Pretz that would be needed for practice runs and the official record attempt.
Volunteering to be one of the 252 participants was friend of RocketNews24 Sato the Reporter, who shares a last name, but not an identity, with our own correspondent Mr. Sato.
▼ Sato the Reporter
Honestly, we were a little surprised that Sato the Reporter had any interest in the event, since to put things delicately, he’s not ordinarily the most enthusiastic guy (we blame his living quarters for his often sullen demeanor). So when he actually got fired up and said, “I totally want to help set a Guinness World Record!” we figured we should send a photographer along to document this rare phenomenon.
The participants gathered in Shibuya on March 23. While the official record attempt would take place outdoors, in front of the famous statue of heartbreakingly loyal dog Hachiko, the day started with a lengthy practice session.
▼ Guinness dispatched two officiators to verify the record attempt was legit.
Feeding someone a stick of Pocky or Pretz doesn’t exactly require brain surgeon-like hand-eye coordination, nor do you need bomb squad-caliber nerves of steel to do it successfully. That said, no matter what the process, getting 250-plus people to repeat it flawlessly it easier said than done, and multiple practice attempts had to be restarted because someone dropped the ball by dropping their food.
Still, the Guinness officials weren’t going to stick around forever, and eventually it was time to head outside for the official attempt.
The participants lined up in the plaza next to Shibuya Station, then one by one, ascended the steps to the stage where they took a stick from the person in front of them, then passed another to the next man or woman in line.
The first hundred passes went off without a hitch, as one pair after the next successfully handed off their snacks.
As the group passed the 200 mark, tension began to build among the crowd. It’s hard to imagine anyone feeling much more pressure than Sato the Reporter, though, since he’d been chosen for a critical role. Assigned the 251st position in line, the solemn responsibility of the final pass rested squarely on his shoulders.
▼ Since all eyes would be on him, it’s a good thing that he was dressed nicely.
▼ Just a few more to go…
▼ Finally, Sato the Reporter steps onto the stage, and receives his Pretz stick.
▼ And now, the moment of truth….
▼ Success!
And just like that, the assembled team had earned their place in the record books, joining fellow Japanese record holders Kazuhiro Watanabe (tallest Mohawk) and Asako Kanda (largest Hello Kitty merchandise collection). Even more impressive, they actually managed to make Sato the Reporter smile, which we say is every bit as tough as setting a Guinness World Record.
Photos, video: RocketNews24
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