Some people carry their childhood hobbies throughout life. Some collect dolls, others — model cars, and some — create fascinating chains from used chewing gum wrappers. This unusual passion brought global recognition to a Canadian man.
He is the creator of the world’s longest gum wrapper chain. Not only a record holder but someone who has captured thousands of hearts with his unique craft.
The story goes back to 1965 when he was 14. He saw older kids in the schoolyard folding gum wrappers neatly and linking them. He quickly got the hang of it and won the class contest for the longest chain. Soon, he was the school champion.
Later, kids in his neighborhood began collecting wrappers for him. In his 1967 yearbook, the caption under his photo read: “Got any gum wrappers?”
In 1992, he and his wife Deborah visited the Ripley’s museum in Ontario. They saw a huge chain hanging from the ceiling and realized his was longer. His wife nudged him and said, “You should do something about that.”
He contacted Ripley’s VP, who referred him to Guinness. They told him the record was already held. Motivated, he contacted Wrigley’s and requested Juicy Fruit wrappers — his favorite. They sent him 5,000, then 10,000 more. Soon, he passed the 7,400-foot (2.25 km) record and reached 10,000 feet.
In March 1994, he officially became the Guinness World Record holder for the longest gum wrapper chain. Since then, he has broken his own record eight times. The chain now measures 23.226 miles (37.4 km) and contains 2,963,789 wrappers.
He founded an online group called the “chain gang” with about 50 fellow enthusiasts. They exchange photos and chain lengths. In 2010, the president of Ripley’s signed the 3 millionth link in Times Square.
A TikTok video about him received 7.5 million views. To critics who say, “Get a life,” he replies: “I have one.” He worked as an operations manager in global companies and traveled widely.
His next goal: to reach marathon length (26.2 miles), or even 28 miles — the length of Virginia Beach, where he has lived since 2002.
He says: “As long as my hands work, the chain will keep growing.” A statement of dedication, love, and meaning. Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!
Ctrl
Enter
Did you find a Mistake?
Highlight the phrase and press Ctrl+Enter Related News
