Plying her craft since age 6, Leilani Franco (UK) has spent decades polishing the skills and abilities needed to grow into a world-class contortionist.
And now, she can officially say she's gone beyond world class, into the realm of world record breaking.
Franco is featured in the new Guinness World Records 2014 book for a trio of records she has set with a body made seemingly from elastic. She's accomplished the most full body revolutions maintaining a chest stand in one minute (25), performed the fastest human backbend walk (20 meters in 10.05 sec), and traveled the fastest 20 meters in a contortion roll (17.47 sec). You can see Franco's unique talents on display in our exclusive "Meet the Record Breakers" video below.
"Whenever I'm at a party, my friends are always like, 'Leilani, show people what you can do!' and I say ok and I do something really weird and everybody gets really shocked," Franco said. "I really like that."
Robert Ardito from the Wing Chun Kung Fu school went head-to-head with karate expert Dwayne Pearson for the record Most full contact punch strikes in one minute, on the set of Guinness World Records, at Seven Network Studios, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 16 August 2005.
Both skilled martial artists beat the previous record of 347, but Aussie Robert took home the Guinness World Records title after achieving an incredible 428 – 48 more punches than Dwayne.
To count towards the record total, every punch had to be performed according to the rules of the discipline.
This record has been broken countless times since the Australian TV show, but Robert Ardito has fought hard to keep his title. He holds the current record after completing a staggering 805 full contact punches in Sydney, Australia in 2009.
Last weekend at the Qingdao Beer Festival in Shandong, China, 1,007 robots bopped and shimmied their way to a new world record for the Most robots dancing simultaneously.
Named QRC-2, each of the 43.8 cm tall dancing machines were controlled from just one mobile phone and they had to dance for a full minute in order to count towards the record total.
A few robots were disqualified because they didn’t dance or fell over, but the majority of the mechanical dance troupe completed the 60 second routine in perfect unison.
The attempt was organised by Ever Win Company Ltd. who wanted to promote their products at the event.
In attendance at the festival was a technology expert from Robots Association, who acted as witness to the incredible attempt, and official Guinness World Records adjudicator Angela Wu, who was able to verify the new record on site.
Quan Jinyou, Chief Technology Officer of Qingdao-based Ever Win Company, Ltd. explained that the robots were equipped with a special encryption technology to reduce radio frequency inference from nearby mobile phones and Bluetooth devices.
Ever Win Company & Ltd. have almost doubled the previous record of 540 dancing robots which was achieved earlier this year by fellow Chinese company UBTECH Robotics Corp.
Setting themselves a challenge to get into the Guinness World Records annual, members of Dutch cycling organisation the Mijl Van Mares Werkploeg built the Longest bicycle in the world, measuring an astonishing 35.79 m (117 ft 5 in) long.
With several aluminium trusses used to link both ends (the kind used for lighting rigs at concerts) to ensure the lengthy frame doesn’t sag, the bicycle has to be operated by two people: one steers at the front while another pedals from the back.
However, in all other ways it is a true bicycle that actually works, with only two wheels and no stabilisers.
The group’s leader, Frank Pelt told GWR that the bike is quite easy to ride, “just don’t turn any corners!”
The Mijl Van Mares Werkploeg successfully achieved their challenge and secured a place in Guinness World Records 2016, but their record was stretched when Santos and University of South Australia (both Australia) created a 41.42 m (135 ft 10.7 in) long bicycle, as measured and ridden in Adelaide, Australia, earlier this year.
Purin is an extremely talented 9-year-old female Beagle and a double record holder who is described as cool, competitive, easy-going and positive by her proud owner Makoto Kumagai (Japan).
The fluffy goalkeeper broke the record for the Most balls caught by a dog with the paws in one minute after she skilfully “saved” 14 mini footballs smashing the previous record of 11 - a feat she had achieved a year earlier.
Makoto explains that they practice together for 15 minutes every day. He carefully throws each ball to Purin, who stands on her back legs and holds out her paws ready to catch them one at a time.
The record was achieved in the pair’s hometown of Japan earlier this year in the presence of an official Guinness World Records adjudicator.
The gifted pup also holds the record for the fastest 10m travelled on a ball by a dog, after she balanced on an inflatable Swiss ball and crossed the finish line in just 11.90 seconds.
The most fingers and toes (polydactylism) on a living person is 28, which belong to Devendra Suthar, and was confirmed in Himatnagar,Gujarat, India on 11 November 2014.
Devendra Suthar has 14 fingers and 14 toes.
A carpenter, Devendra says that the extra fingers don’t affect his work, though he has to be extra careful when cutting.
Setting themselves a challenge to get into the Guinness World Records annual, members of Dutch cycling organisation the Mijl Van Mares Werkploeg built the Longest bicycle in the world, measuring an astonishing 35.79 m (117 ft 5 in) long.
With several aluminium trusses used to link both ends (the kind used for lighting rigs at concerts) to ensure the lengthy frame doesn’t sag, the bicycle has to be operated by two people: one steers at the front while another pedals from the back.
However, in all other ways it is a true bicycle that actually works, with only two wheels and no stabilisers.
The group’s leader, Frank Pelt told GWR that the bike is quite easy to ride, “just don’t turn any corners!”
You'll get a shock when you watch the impressive footage of one of our most striking record-breakers, Maria Jose Cristerna AKA 'The Mexican Vampire Lady'. Each week here on guinnessworldrecords.com, we’ll be dipping into our extensive video library to bring you a classic piece of record-breaking action.
Most body modifications on a female is held by Maria Jose Cristerna (Mexico) who has a total of 49 body modifications, including significant tattoo coverage, a range of transdermal implants on her forehead, chest and arms, and multiple piercings in her eyebrows, lips, nose, tongue, ear lobes, belly button and nipples.
Longest fingernails on a single hand (ever) - Guinness World Records
Shridhar Chillal has been determinedly growing his nails for 62 long years - but his dedication has paid off since he is officially recognised by Guinness World Records as the person with the Longest fingernails on a single hand ever.
He has not cut the fingernails on his left hand since 1952 – before even the first Guinness World Records book was published – and they now have a cumulative length of 909.6 cm (358.1 in), as measured in Prune City, Maharashtra, India, on 17 November 2014.
The most impressive is his thumbnail which measures an unbelievable 197.8 cm and curls into a tight coil at the end.
Guinness World Records officials took a trip to Shridhar's home in Maharashtra, India to perform an adjudication of the record, along with a photoshoot of the record-holder.
Asked about how his nails affect his life, Shridhar explains that they are extremely fragile so he has to be very careful when sleeping: “I can’t move much, so every half an hour or so I wake up and move my hand to the other side of the bed.”
However, he enjoys the being recognised everywhere he goes and boasts: “I never have to wait in a queue”.
Čovjek koji nije isjekao nokte još od 1952. godine je ušao u Ginisovu knjigu rekorda, ali kaže da je platio visoku cijenu za svoje kandže.
Šridar Čilal je zvanično oborio svjetski rekord u najdužim noktima na jednoj ruci, sa kombinovanom dužinom od 909,5 cm. Samo jedan od njegovih noktiju dugačak je dva metra. Šridar (78) je ponosan na svoje dostignuće, čak mu je ponuđeno da nokte donira muzeju.
"Kada je došlo vrijeme da se oženim, nijedna djevojka me nije htjela, a viđao sam se sa desetak njih u mladosti. Čak iako bi djevojka pristala da se uda za mene, njeni roditelji bi napravili veliku nevolju", Šridar priča o problemima iz mladosti.
The fastest caravan pull over 50 m (164 ft) is 13.59 sec and was set by Warrick Brant (Australia) on the set of Australia Smashes Guinness World Records at the Willowbank Raceway in Willowbank, Queensland, Australia, 23 January 2010.
The huge vehicle weighed a hefty 735 kg (1620.4 lbs), but Brant crossed the finish line in just 13.59 seconds, smashing the record and achieving a Guinness World Records title.
Brant, the amazing human tow car, pulled the caravan so quickly that three people actually had to stop it from running him over once he stopped.
He had Manabu Nakanishi (Japan) to beat, who hauled a caravan 50 m in 17.57 seconds for the TBS television show Sanma’s Karakuri back in 2006.
Bob Wade enters the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS 2016 edition with his larger than life cowboy boot sculpture, standing at 10.74 m (35 ft 3 in) tall. If an actual person were in scale with the boots’ foot size, that person would need to be two hundred feet tall to model them!
Built by the 72 year old artist from Austin, Texas in 1979, the massive boots were originally located in Washington, DC. Commissioned by nonprofit organization Washington Project for the Arts (WPA) to construct an outdoor art installation, Bob opted for the western wear, not only because they fit the lot but as an ode to the legendary roster of Texan politicians in DC at the time.
It took 3 months, 5 assistants and a crane to construct the boots.
Back in 2008, American Greg Godfrey appeared on the MTV show “Nitro Circus” to attempt the Longest ramp jump by a truck cab – successfully setting a Guinness World Records title with an amazing 15.39 m (50 ft 6 in) leap.
However, last Friday 24 July, at an Evil Knievel Days event in Butte, Montana, USA, the stunt driver got back inside his semi-truck – a unit typically used to pull large trailers in the long-haul road freight industry, not for jumping.
Daredevil Godfrey launched his 45,000 kg truck from a ramp to clear a reported distance of 160 feet – potentially trebling his previous benchmark.
Guinness World Records is currently awaiting further evidence before we can verify whether Godfrey has officially broken the record.
The fearless driver took to Twitter to announce that he “meant to only go to 140”, suggesting that the last, potentially record-breaking 20 ft was actually accidental.
With very little separating Godfrey’s truck and the huge surrounding crowd, the video shows him slam on the breaks as he lands, narrowly avoiding a crash into a nearby house. Or, is it just perfect parallel parking?
The most headers scored by a team of 11 in relay fashion in two minutes is 54 by Energie Cottbus under-17s (Germany) on the set of Guinness – Die Show Der Rekorde in Munich, Germany, on 27 April 2002.
The Longest human domino line was formed by 10,267 participants at the Ordos International Nadam Fair in Ordos City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China.
The participants consisted of students and other citizens from Ordos City, and it took a lengthy 69 minutes 43 seconds to complete the line’s course. The message read: 'Dongsheng welcomes you' - Dongsheng District is part of Ordos City, Inner Mongolia, China.
A visually spectacular record, this footage reveals the incredible scale of the human domino line in action. This impressive display demonstrating dedication and cooperation on a grand scale has yet to be bettered - but as always, our records team welcome new attempts!
The participants consisted of students and other citizens from Ordos City, and it took a lengthy 69 minutes 43 seconds to complete the line’s course. The message read: 'Dongsheng welcomes you' - Dongsheng District is part of Ordos City, Inner Mongolia, China.
A visually spectacular record, this footage reveals the incredible scale of the human domino line in action. This impressive display demonstrating dedication and cooperation on a grand scale has yet to be bettered - but as always, our records team welcome new attempts!
Guinness World Records today pays an emotional farewell and tribute to the adorable Blosom, who sadly passed away recently but will live on in the record books as the world’s tallest cow ever.
The Female Holstein, pictured above towering over her American owner Patty Meads-Hanson at a staggering height of 190 cm (74.8 in) – over 6ft tall - was first recognised as the tallest cow living after Guinness World Records visited Blosom and her owner at her home in Orangeville, Illinois, earlier this year.
Sadly Blosom passed away last month after sustaining an irreparable leg injury. Following further research, Guinness World Records can today confirm that Blosom is now recognised as the title holder for Tallest Cow ever. On learning about beloved Blosom’s latest record Patty said, “The funny thing about Blosom was how unaffected she was by all the attention that seemed to surround her.
As long as she had her oats, and daily chin rubs and ear scratches, life was good.”
Having owned Blosom since she was eight weeks old, the cow’s continued growth led to Patty’s father suggesting Blosom’s height should be checked out by Guinness World Records. Following confirmation that she had indeed set a new world record for Tallest cow living, Guinness World Records sent a film crew and photographer over to the US. Sadly Patty’s father passed away before the record was officially allocated to Blosom.
In our poignant video, published for the first time below, our crew capture the incredible animal in her open and lush green farmland, where she enjoyed 13 healthy and enjoyable years with her adoring owner.
Blosom was born to two normal sized cows. and according to Patty, was even taller when she was eight years old. Always friendly with her owners, Patty treated Blosom like any other household pet and loved nothing more than spending time with her out in the field.
In an emotional farewell, and pride in Blosom featuring in the upcoming Guinness World Records 2016 Edition, her owner Patty says, “I will cherish our memories forever ... I am excited for the world to meet Blosom soon in the 2016 edition, but I know it will be very bitter-sweet.”
Guinness World Records Editor-in Chief, Craig Glenday, said: “We hold our tallest animals at Guinness World Records in an extremely high regard due to their uniqueness and rarity in finding. We were devastated when we heard the news of Blosom’s death as she was such a friendly and gorgeous animal and her owner equally as wonderful and took such great care of her. She is definitely one of the standout highlights in our upcoming book and we hope the world enjoys seeing the pictures of her.
The previous record holder for the tallest cow ever was Mount Katahdin, a Holstein-Durham cross who, from 1906-1910, stood at 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) to the shoulder and had a girth measuring 3.96 m (13 ft).
Italijani su ove subote srušili svjetski rekord napravivši najdužu pizzu na svijetu. Margerita koju su ispekli bila je duga 1,5 kilometar.
Pizza je predstavljena na manifestaciji Milan 2015. Expo gdje je sudija Guinessove Knjige rekorda Lorenzo Veltri predao Italijanima krunu za njihovo remek-djelo.
Za pripremanje najduže pizze na svijetu utrošeno je 1.500 kg paradajza, više od 1,5 tone mozzarella sira i "rijeka" ekstradjevičanskog maslinovog ulja. U ovom zahtjevnom procesu u Milanu učestvovalo je 80 kuhara koji su svoje djelo servirali na 800 spojenih stolova prije nego što su njihovi sugrađani stali u red da dobiju svoj komad.
Pizza je predstavljena na manifestaciji Milan 2015. Expo gdje je sudija Guinessove Knjige rekorda Lorenzo Veltri predao Italijanima krunu za njihovo remek-djelo.
Za pripremanje najduže pizze na svijetu utrošeno je 1.500 kg paradajza, više od 1,5 tone mozzarella sira i "rijeka" ekstradjevičanskog maslinovog ulja. U ovom zahtjevnom procesu u Milanu učestvovalo je 80 kuhara koji su svoje djelo servirali na 800 spojenih stolova prije nego što su njihovi sugrađani stali u red da dobiju svoj komad.
Italijani su srušili rekord koji su prethodno držali Španci sa 1.141,5 metara dugom pizzom.
Na ulicu u Milanu izneseno je 300 metara pizze kako bi je ponudili posjetiocima Expoa, a njih je bilo oko 30.000.
Za pripremu svakog metra ove pizze trebalo je oko tri minute, a pekli su je u posebno adaptiranim pećima kako bi obilježili 126. rođendan slavne pizze margerite, prenosi AFP.
