The Friday List is a recurring feature in which we jog memories, spark thoughts and perhaps generate debate in one of the grandest formats devised by man … the almighty list. Are we missing something? Are we dead wrong? Offer your thoughts on the list du jour by heading to the Valley Review’s Twitter or Facebook pages.
The Guinness Book of World Records is a literary masterpiece, and if you don’t believe us, ask any fourth grader.
The Fox Cities will have another entry just as soon as an adjudicator from the esteemed organization gives the big thumbs-up.
Fans of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers set out to break the record for most people playing air guitar at the July 17 game. More than 3,000 people played some sweet licks on their invisible instruments in a bid to snatch the record secured at a 2011 Rock n’ Roll Bingo event in California.
It isn’t the first time our region achieved global greatness.
Sure, we’re not among the memorable records like obese twins on motorcycles or world’s most expensive costume. The latter, back in the day, was better known as the lone photo of bare breasts in any and every middle school library.
But any record is a good record.
As the Rattlers await glory, the Friday List takes a look at other Fox Valley record-breaking connections to the world’s greatest bathroom book.
Troy Landwehr, owner of Kerrigan Brothers Winery in Freedom, created the world record-holding largest cheese sculpture — a 1,524-pound cheeseburger done in aged cheddar. The sculpture created in 2015 in Hollywood was one of a number of moments in which Landwehr drew national attention for his unique artistic endeavors.
When shopping at Meijer in Grand Chute, take a deep breath and know your standing where the record-setting toilet paper pyramid once towered from the tile floors — the Fox Valley’s own Giza. Meijer teamed with Kimberly-Clark to accomplish the feat, which required 25,585 rolls. The official plaque hangs at the front of the store. There’s a Taco Bell joke here, but we’re not going there.
Last year, Tundraland set a world record for the largest display of painted windows right here in Appleton with 1,651 windows.
Though it wasn’t set here, the paper airplane that set the world record for longest flight in 2012 was folded from paper made by Appleton Coated in Combined Locks.
Seymour once held the world record for world’s largest hamburger when they cooked up a 5,520-pound monstrosity on Aug. 5, 1989.
For five years, Downtown Appleton held the world record for largest French horn ensemble. On Dec. 22, 2007, 85 French horn players performed together at was then the Avenue Mall. The record was broken in Texas in 2012 during an International Horn Symposium in which about 400 players got together. Everything — including French horn ensembles — is bigger in Texas.
