Rugby inspires bottle cap sculpture record
08 Dec 2010
New Zealanders are renowned for their ingenuity but one Kiwi has capped off the ‘No. 8 wire’ approach with a giant sculpture that’s likely to break a Guinness World Record.
Aucklander Alastair Galpin, who is officially recognised as the decade’s second biggest Guinness World Record holder, has created an impressive metal rugby ball using a kilometre of wire and 19,205 used bottle caps.
Galpin has broken 68 world records inlcuding 38 official Guinness World Records in a variety of unusual disciplines from the fastest time to peel and eat three kiwifruit to having the most snails on his face, longest handshake, most stamps licked and the most hugs in one hour.
Bottle cap sculpture
In this latest attempt Galpin is aiming to set a new world record for the largest bottle cap sculpture.
His 2.4m x 1.6m ball took 18 months or 3600 man hours to build, and is currently awaiting official ratification from Guinness World Records.
It was first revealed at Auckland’s Botany Town Centre by New Zealand athlete Sir John Walker - himself a Guinness World Record holder having become the first person to run the mile in under 3.5 minutes in 1975.
The bottle cap ball was designed to replicate a Gilbert rugby ball - the type to be used in the Rugby World Cup 2011.
Although now in storage, Galpin hopes his sculpture may be put on public display in the lead up and during the world tournament in New Zealand next year.
World-breaking career
The 35-year-old, who was born in South Africa, has made a career out of setting new world records.
His efforts are mainly listed in the Guinness World Record Book’s ‘Amazing Feats’ category in the ‘Unusual Skills’ section, and Galpin has created media attention in the United States with some criticising his various feats as the "most ridiculous" and "least impressive" records.
As well as most snails on the face (eight in 10 seconds), most rubber-bands stretched over the face (62 in one minute), longest handshake (9 hours, 19 minutes), most stamps licked (57 in one minute) and the fastest time to peel and eat three kiwifruit, Galpin is also the holder of the Guinness World Record for the most hugs in one hour - set in Civic Square, Wellington, on 13 July 2007 (624 hugs).
In 2008 in St Heliers, Auckland, Galpin set the world record for the longest hair extensions. He had 6.68m of synthetic hair woven into his hairline, which took more than four hours.
In 2009 he achieved three new records at the Guinness World Records Day for champagne-cork spitting, coin blowing, and Malteser spitting.
Serious activities
But not all of the records have been funny or frivolous - some of his attempts had the potential to cause serious bodily harm.
In 2004 Galpin held the "eye poppingly" painful record of lifting 1.7kg of metal weights with his tongue.
After having suspended the weights for 10 seconds, Galpin discovered the action could have ripped his tongue out.
Four years ago his body became a canvas for 31,680 rhinestones, the most glued on to a body. It took 11 showers, and a DIY shampoo-floor cleaner solution to get all the sticky stuff off.
Galpin says he has no immediate plans to stop the fun any time soon.
"In a nutshell I enjoy breaking records. I'll find something and immediately start thinking 'hey lets do it'," he said.
Galpin started record breaking in 2004 and says his objectives are to assist environmental and community organisations - primarily in developing countries - communicate their messages.
These topics may also be of interest to you
|
