WORLD RECORD SKATEBOARD RECORD BROKEN AT NMU

Sunday 10, 2011
MARQUETTE, Mich.—The Guinness world record for the largest skateboard parade was broken at Northern Michigan University today (April 10) when 341 participants skateboarded the one-kilometer course across the academic mall.

The former mark was 249 skateboarders.

“We estimate we had more than 450 skaters but only about 341 were signed in, but it was an amazing event despite small issues like turnstiles not working,” said Jeremy Johnson, one of the NMU student organizers of the event. “It all came together. Even the weather cleared up at jus the right time. We couldn’t have asked for a better day.”

The event was sponsored by the NMU Skate & Snow student group and Marquette Informal Longboarding Foundation.

The world record was the ffifth set on the NMU campus, according to NMU historian and history professor Russ Magnaghi. During the 1977 Homecoming celebration, 1,674 people participated in the “largest game of musical chairs.” The mark was short-lives and never made into the printed record book. At the 1978 Homecoming, the “world’s largest pasty” was baked in a special oven and consisted of 250 pounds of beat, 400 pounds of potatoes, 75 pounds of carrots and 25 pounds of onions wrapped in 250 pounds of dough. The campus was the site of two world records for the world’s largest sauna, both held during the FinnFest celebrations held in 1996 and 2005. The 1996 record had 660 and the 2005 record 663 participants.

Cindy Paavola
9062272716
cipaavol@nmu.edu
Director of Communications