Man marches into record books with lawnmower on his chin

Record ID: 896564

  • Title: Man marches into record books with lawnmower on his chin
  • Date: 23rd June 2017
  • Summary: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (JUNE 22, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF GUINNESS RECORD HOPEFUL, ASHRITA FURMAN, LIFTING AND BALANCING A RUNNING ELECTRIC LAWNMOWER ONTO HIS CHIN IN ATTEMPT TO BREAK HIS EXISTING GUINNESS RECORD FURMAN WALKING WITH RUNNING LAWNMOWER ON HIS CHIN FOLLOWED BY HELPERS PUSHING ELECTRICAL GENERATOR AND WRANGLING POWER CABLE VARIOUS OF FURMAN WALKING DOWN SIDEWALK WITH LAWNMOWER ON CHIN TILT UP FROM FURMAN'S FEET UP TO LAWNMOWER VARIOUS OF FURMAN WALKING WITH RUNNING LAWNMOWER ON HIS CHIN BYSTANDERS FILMING RECORD ATTEMPT FURMAN WALKING WITH LAWNMOWER ON HIS CHIN VARIOUS OF FURMAN ENDING HIS WALK AND PUTTING LAWNMOWER BACK ON THE GROUND (SOUNDBITE) (English) GUINNESS RECORD HOPEFUL, ASHRITA FURMAN, SAYING: "It was touch and go there. Wind is really your enemy in this kind of balancing, and I had a couple of gusts of wind where the lawnmower felt it was going to spin off. In this particular case, because of the centrifugal force of the lawnmower - the lawnmower is trying to spin off your chin, and you have to constantly fight the motion of the lawnmower as well as trying to keep the balance, and when you get a gust of wind then it sort of throws everything off. So I'm very, very happy, very relieved actually." VARIOUS OF HELPERS MARKING THE GROUND AT FURMAN'S FEET TO DETERMINE HOW FAR HE WALKED (SOUNDBITE) (English) GUINNESS RECORD HOPEFUL, ASHRITA FURMAN, SAYING: "Well this is not my idea, Guinness invented this. I don't think I would have thought of this crazy idea but I'm glad that they did. I love it. I like the fact that it's a little bit dangerous and it's challenging and it's very visual. When I practice I always get people, you know, kids taking video and it give people joy which is important." VARIOUS OF FURMAN WALKING WITH LAWNMOWER BALANCED ON HIS CHIN (SOUNDBITE) (English) GUINNESS RECORD HOPEFUL, ASHRITA FURMAN, SAYING: "I feel great. I feel that I achieved self-transcendence. I pushed beyond what I had done before by a lot, and I'm very, very happy. It's not about making it inaccessible to anybody else. I mean, there are people, definitely this record will get broken. I mean that's the whole idea is there are no limits to what humans can do. But for me, I did the best I could today and I'm very, very pleased with it." VARIOUS OF DISTANCE OF WALK BEING MEASURED MAN READING OFF PAD, ANNOUNCING THAT FURMAN HAD WALKED 71.53 METERS FURMAN AT FINISH LINE
  • Embargoed: 7th July 2017 17:00
  • Keywords: Ashrita Furman Guinness Record lawnmower balance on chin record attempt
  • Location: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED
  • City: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Human Interest / Brights / Odd News,Society/Social Issues
  • Reuters ID: LVA0016MD3AE1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: ++CONTAINS MATERIAL WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY 4:3++
    Pushing a running electric lawnmower for 71 meters is not a difficult thing to do, but try doing it with a lawnmower balanced on your chin.
    On Thursday (June 22) New Yorker Ashrita Furman broke, by more than 50 meters, his existing Guinness World Record for "The farthest distance walked balancing a powered lawnmower on the chin."
    When he finally lowered the grass-cutter to the pavement, Furman had traveled an impressive 71.53 meters, easily besting his previous and still-existing record of 20 meters.
    "I feel great. I feel that I achieved self transcendence. I pushed beyond what I had done before by a lot and I'm very, very happy," said Furman.
    Although he made it look easy, Furman said he was constantly battling the elements.
    "It was touch and go there. Wind is really your enemy in this kind of balancing, and I had a couple of gusts of wind where the lawnmower felt it was going to spin off, said Furman.
    Furman also said the "the centrifugal force of the whirling blades makes it feel like the lawnmower is constantly "trying to spin off your chin."
    Although Furman will add another Guinness Record to his growing list, he said he cannot take credit for inventing this lawnmower walk.
    "Guinness invented this. I don't think I would have thought of this crazy idea but I'm glad that they did. I love it. I like the fact that it's a little bit dangerous and it's challenging and it's very visual."
    Furman said he currently holds more than 200 Guinness Records, including one for the most Guinness Records.
    Furman dedicates all his Guinness records to the late Indian philosopher and spiritualist Sri Chinmoy and has been setting them from 1979 when he did 27,000 jumping jacks. Since then the records have fallen for Furman in countless off-beat categories.
    From the fastest mile running with a milk on his head, numerous records using a hula-hoop and a pogo stick, to the fastest mile pushing an orange with his nose, these are only a fraction of the over 600 Guinness Records Furman has set though the years.
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