Thursday, September 27, 2007

Guinness Records, Some of these people have skills

Australian John Allwood smashed 40 watermelons with his head in just one minute.

Using only one hand, Germany's Thomas Vogel unfastened 56 bras in 60 seconds.

When it comes to the world's weirdest achievers, nothing beats the ultimate accolade -- a place in Guinness World Records for demonstrating bizarre skills.

Nothing is too wacky.

Can you catch 77 grapes in your mouth in under a minute, keep nine yo-yo's spinning at the same time, hold your breath for more than 14 minutes or throw a washing machine?

Then Guinness has a spot for you.

The annual compendium, whose latest edition is published on Friday, even has a section entitled Trivial Pursuits.

Few would argue with the title as Guinness lists the globe's finest practitioners at putting the cover on a duvet, kicking yourself in the head and throwing paper aircraft into a bucket.

Italian Michele Santana wins an entry for typing 57 books backwards.

Indian yoga instructor G.P Vijayakumar snorted eight fish up through his mouth and out of his nostrils in a minute.

American Jackie Bibby shared his bath with 75 live western diamondback rattlesnakes.

The latest edition also has a four-page pullout of the world's grossest records.

China's Wei Shengchu gains notoriety for most acupuncture needles in the head and face.

Frenchman Michel Lotito claimed the weirdest diet -- over the years he consumed 128 bicycles and 15 supermarket trolleys which he washed down with six chandeliers, two beds and a pair of skis.

Natasha Veruschka won Guinness immortality by swallowing 13 swords at the Third Annual Sideshow Gathering and Sword Swallowers Convention in Pennsylvania.

Few could equal the bizarre feat of China's Dong Changsheng -- he pulled a 1.5 tonne car using ropes hooked onto his lower eyelids.

In the mass participation category, 3,541 Philippine women in Manila shared the record for the most women ever to have breastfed their babies simultaneously.

The top prize for survival has to go to American park ranger Roy C.Sullivan -- he was struck by lightning seven times.

Each strike took its toll -- he lost eyebrows and a toe nail as well as suffering singed hair and chest burns.

He died in 1993 -- not killed by lightning but by his own hand after reportedly being rejected in love.

LONDON (Reuters)