This was the last record attempt at the Boston Juggling Festival.

The record was for most 180-degree bottle flips in one minute. Throw the bottle in the air, it rotates 180 degrees, catch the other end.

I had the perfect bottle. I practiced for months. I got faster and faster. I started at about 120 flips in one minute and worked until I could get over 180. I then took the bottle to Boston. I practiced more. I set up a towel on the hard floor. I did one last dry run. Then I went for the Guinness World Record with timers, witnesses, and video. I was about 45 seconds into the run and I dropped the bottle, it bounced on the towel, bounced off the towel, and the bottle broke.

My biggest fear had been realized. I didn’t have a backup plan.

I thought I was going to have to run to a store (and none were close) but then some folks decided to raid the recycling. Cole found a glass bottle and brought it to me. It was too heavy but he showed me where he got it and I found a glass Blue Moon bottle that still had the last drops of beer in it. It was about the right weight but the skinny end was less tapered than my original. It was good enough. I shook the beer out and went for the record again just a few minutes after my initial failure.

I dropped it a couple times but was happy with the pace and managed 182 bottle flips in one minute. It wasn’t quite by PR but it was close.