World's Large Rubber Band Ball: Access Denied

As promised in the last video blog, I went hunting today for the Large Rubber Band Ball (exact superlative now unknown). My journey led me to the Pride Superette on 22nd and Guererro, the rumoured repository of the elastic wonder. Upon entering I approached the shop clerk about the ball. My question elicited an emotional response. In a tenor shy of a shriek, he told me I would never be able to see it, that it was long gone, that he lost the world record by a mere 700 pounds, that he was a failure. When I pressed him to see it he only grew more hysterical and continued to yell at me even as I walked out the door. Needless to say I was quite disappointed, though nothing could compare to this man's utter sense of disillusion with the Guinness Book and the world itself.

I did a bit of research online and found that the shop owner, Samir Keishk, lost the World Record for Largest Rubber Band Ball several years back to Delaware college student John Bain. Bain's record was later beat in 2006 by Steve Milton if Chicago, Illinois. The current champion stands at over 6 feet and 4,600 pounds.

http://www.gettingit.com/article/522

http://bestof.sfweekly.com/bestof/award.php?award=28382

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubber_band_ball



Despite this apparent dead end, I vow to return - perhaps during a different shift. I will hug that ball!! In the meantime I leave you with a 2005 shot of Aurthur Goldstein of Ocean Park, Brooklyn with his very large ball of twine.