2022 Wrap-Up: A Record-Breaking Year

By Arman Manternach ‘23

Two years of isolation have provided many people with spare time to explore their strange passions and hobbies. Throughout 2022, thousands of bizarre and intriguing world records were set. Here are the best of the best.

#1 Largest group of people with same first and last name

On October 29th, the Hirokazu Tanaka association assembled at a movie theater in Tokyo, Japan. All 178 members of the gathering, which included a toddler and an 80-year-old man, were named Hirokazu Tanaka. This gathering broke the previous record of the largest group of people with the same first and last name set in 2005 by 164 Martha Stewarts.

Every Hirokazu Tanaka in the group had a unique nickname to differentiate them from the others. “Semi-Leader,” the founding member of the association, said he was inspired to start the campaign for a world record when Nippon Professional Baseball's Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes, now the Orix Buffaloes, drafted a player named Hirokazu Tanaka in 1994.

“It’s a strange feeling, being awarded a Guinness record just because of my name,” Hirokazu “Hot Pot” Tanaka remarked. “I’m just grateful to my parents.”

#2 Most eggs balanced on back of hand

In February, Nasiriyha, Iraq native Ibrahim Sadeq tied the record for most eggs balanced on the back of one’s hand with 18 eggs. He now shares the title with Jack Harris of the UK.

*Image courtesy of Guinness World Records*

Ibrahim said he discovered his passion for balancing things by watching balancing videos online. He stressed that balancing takes extreme focus and breath control, as well as being able to tolerate the “pain and pressure” of that many eggs on one hand.

When asked about his plans for the future, Ibrahim said that he hopes to continue enjoying the “art of balancing.”

#3 Fastest time to find and alphabetize the letters in a can of alphabet soup

This record was broken locally! Over the summer, Gresham, Oregon native Jacob Chandler alphabetized the letters from a can of alphabet soup in 2 mins 8.6 sec, earning this interesting record.

Jacob said he decided to break this particular record after researching obscure records that would be easier to set. He noted the four strategies that helped him achieve his impressive time.

The first was using a shallow bowl with a sloped edge that allowed him to scoop out the letters the fastest. The second was using a spoon that “had a good feel” in his hands. Third, he experimented with different kinds of alphabet soup that had big or small letters, watery or thick broth, and veggies or meat before settling on big letters in thick broth with meat chunks. His final trick was lots of practice telling the difference between letters. Q and O and M and W look very similar, especially when sorting the letters quickly, so being able to differentiate between the letters was important for breaking the record.

Jacob hopes that breaking the record showed Brycen, his 11-year-old son, “that anything is possible if you work hard enough at it.” Jacob has other world record attempts in the works, including the most tea bags thrown into mugs in 30 seconds and distance traveled by a mentos and soda bottle vehicle.

#4 Longest journey by pumpkin boat (paddling)

This August, Nebraska native Duane Hansen smashed the record for the longest journey in a paddled pumpkin boat when he navigated 38 miles of the Missouri River in one day in a hollowed out pumpkin.

*Photo courtesy of Guinness World Records*

Duane started in Bellevue, Nebraska, and spent 11 hours paddling the pumpkin, named “Berta,” to Nebraska City. The previous record of 25.5 miles was set by Rick Swenson of North Dakota in 2016. August 27th, the day Duane broke the record, was also his 60th birthday. Duane says he was inspired to break the record when he met Swenson at a giant pumpkin-growing seminar.

*Image courtesy of the City of Bellevue, Nebraska/Facebook*

If this article has inspired you to set a world record, you can apply to break or create one with Guinness. In your application, you can choose an existing record to break or propose a new record. If your proposal is approved, Guinness will send guidelines for how to document your record and collect the proper amount of evidence to support your attempt. Once you have broken the record, send the evidence back to Guinness, and if it is approved, you will receive a Guinness world record certificate, and your record will be posted to Guinness’ website.

In the age of the internet, documenting your world record often means just pressing the record button on your phone. Many people have a special talent that, when paired with a specific enough record, can be record-breaking. So go forth and be the best in the world at something, dear reader, even if it is alphabetizing alphabet soup.