Balancing a Skateboard on My Chin for Over an Hour (Yes, It Hurt)
Among my 350+ Guinness World Records, many involve balancing objects on my chin for extended durations. What most people don’t realize is how physically demanding these records are — particularly on the neck and jaw.
The Training Behind the Record
Building the endurance for long chin-balance attempts takes deliberate preparation. The neck has to bear sustained load and strain, and the pain builds progressively throughout an attempt. In practice sessions, the jaw actually gives out first. It’s a powerful muscle, but it has limited endurance — you’ll feel it early. Over time, that endurance improves.
For longer records, I don’t have 30 to 60 minutes daily to dedicate to full practice runs. Instead, I train with heavier weights: a barbell with 20 to 40 pounds on one end and a tennis ball on the other, balanced on my chin. The tennis ball protects the chin; the added weight builds strength and tolerance faster.
The Skateboard Challenge
The longest duration balancing a skateboard on the chin was a record somebody else created, but I was the first to attempt it. Right away I discovered the obvious problem: a skateboard is a surprisingly pointy object. Even 30 seconds was intensely painful.
I needed a board that met the minimum weight requirements but had a slightly flatter end. A friend with a large skateboard collection let me work through his inventory until I found one that worked.
Breaking the Record
I went after the record during a pickleball session at my local YMCA. After one hour, one minute, and 36 seconds, I had the record.
Ready to be done, I attempted a finishing move — going down to my knees. As I did, the skateboard started to tip off. I had to grab it. Not the clean finish I had in mind, but the time was locked in.
The record stands. The neck still remembers.