Fire-breather hot to beat record

Scott Tucker gets his flame on.

Contributed

SCOTT Tucker is confident he can fire-breath his way into the Guinness World Record book, but he has failed to get a response from the company responsible for maintaining the records.

Mr Tucker said he had sent in two separate applications through the Guinness World Records website in the past six months, but had heard nothing back.

Mr Tucker, the 21-year-old Grafton-based director of Ablaze Pyro Productions, is hoping to set three new records - the highest flame, a flame sustained for the longest duration and the most flames blown in one minute (see current records below).

The Daily Examiner sent off a media inquiry yesterday afternoon but, considering the company's main offices are listed as London and New York, an immediate response was not expected.

"I haven't measured it officially but we have rough estimates that I can blow a flame 25- to 30-foot (8.5 to 10m) high; it's measured from the ground," Mr Tucker said.

As for the other records, Mr Tucker admitted he had some work to do. He can currently blow a flame for about four seconds, but the record stands at 9.69 seconds and he has not attempted to blow as many flames as possible in a minute.

Aside from the obvious bragging rights attached to being a world record holder, Mr Tucker said he was hoping the move might help boost business to a point where Ablaze can actually charge for its services.

"At the moment we are mostly volunteering at charity events, but I hope this can build it up a bit," he said.

Ablaze, comprising Mr Tucker and friends Jason Fischer, Stacey McMaster and Nathan Cramp, hopes to organise youth events in the near future, similar to the Hot House Parties seen in the Valley in recent years, but with a bit of extra spark.

The first Guinness Book of Records was published in 1955 - the idea of Irishman Sir Hugh Beaver, then managing director of the Guinness Brewery.

It now sells 3.5 million copies of the newly named Guinness World Records every year.

Current hot breath records

• The highest flame blown by a fire-breather was 8.05m (26 ft 5 in), and was achieved by Antonio Restivo (USA) at a warehouse in Las Vegas, Nevada, on January 11 last year.
• The longest duration to sustain a continuous fire flame from the mouth is 9.69 seconds and was achieved by Ty Pamfiloff a.k.a.Ty Cy-Phy (USA) in Montrose, USA, on June 1 last year.
• The most flames blown in one minute is 85 achieved by Preacher Muad'dib (Ireland) on the set of Lo Show Dei Record, in Milan, Italy, on April 27 last year.

* From the Guinness World Records website.