I ran as fast as a speeding ping pong ball today. That’s because I was propelling the ball by holding it on a paddle while running the fastest 50 meters known to man (with the above conditions met).

Today’s record attempt was going to be for the longest distance traveled on inline skates while juggling but I got a cancellation notice 7 minutes before I was supposed to set up. Instead, I switched to “Fastest 50 m while balancing a ping pong ball on a bat”. The previous record was 8.604 seconds. When I first went to practice this record I thought it would be a piece of cake. After a day of practice I wasn’t sure if I’d ever be able to finish 50 meters without dropping the ball, let-alone at record speed.

Ping pong balls are light. In fact, they’re not much heavier than air. When I start running the air speed generated by my movement is enough to immediately roll a ping pong ball off the bat. I have to hold the paddle at a relatively steep angle to keep it on the bat and fast adjustments are needed to keep it in control. I also can’t take my eye off the ball. I have to keep my lane in peripheral vision.

I went over to Boise High School, gave a short talk to a class and I lined up 50 meters from the finish line. I took off in lane 6 (outside lane next to the fence that I’d never practiced in) and there was a blue barrel that came out of nowhere that threw me a little off after 20 meters. I got a little wobbly but held it together until at last, I dropped the ball with 10 meters left to go.

I tried it again and this time I didn’t let anything phase me. 7.87 seconds later I hold another Guinness World Record.

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