Ashrita Furman
Encyclopedia
Ashrita Furman has set more than 300 Guinness records since 1979 and currently holds
131 Guinness records. He has set records on all seven continents and in more than 30 different countries. He has the official record for "The most current Guinness World Records held at the same time by an individual." (Marco Frigatti, Head of Records, Guinness Book of World Records)
, New York
in 1954, the same year the Guinness Book of Records was conceived and the year Roger Bannister
broke the 4-minute mile. Furman was fascinated with the Guinness Book of World Records as a child but never thought he could ever break a record, since he was very nonathletic. He grew up in the Kew Gardens Hills
neighborhood in Queens
, and attended Jamaica High School.
That all changed when, as a teenager, Furman became interested in spirituality
and in 1970 became a devout follower of the mystic Sri Chinmoy
. Chinmoy inspired Furman to participate in a 24-hour bicycle race in New York City
's Central Park
in 1978. With only two weeks' training, Furman tied for third place, cycling 405 miles (651.8 km). He later described the experience, “It was one of the most profound moments of my life. As I climbed off my bicycle, I realized that it wasn't my body that had cycled for 24 hours, but my inner Spirit. By using meditation I was able to connect with an inexhaustible energy which we all have but rarely use. At that moment I decided to attempt breaking Guinness records to inspire others to connect with their own indomitable inner strength.” Around this time, Furman changed his first name to Ashrita ('protected by God' in Sanskrit
).
s. In 1986, Furman invented and set the record for underwater pogo stick
jumping and introduced it on Good Morning America
on April Fools Day. That same year Furman began setting records at historic landmarks by doing forward rolls along the entire 12 ¼ mile route of Paul Revere's Ride in Massachusetts
and jumping 11 ½ miles up and down the foothills of Mount Fuji
on a pogo stick.
in Jamaica
, Queens
, New York City
, New York
since 1982. He is also a tour conductor for his meditation group and is therefore able to travel extensively. Furman had set records in more than 30 countries and completed his goal of breaking a record in all 7 continents when he set the mile hula hoop
record at Uluru
(also known as Ayers Rock) in the Australian desert in 2003. Furman has also set records at such famous landmarks as the Egyptian pyramids
(distance pool cue balancing), Stonehenge
(standing on a Swiss ball
), the Eiffel Tower
(most sit ups in an hour), the Great Wall of China
(hopping on a kangaroo ball) and Angkor Wat
(jumping rope on a pogo stick). While in China
, Furman broke the record for running 8 km (5 mi) on stilts
, a record which had stood since 1892.
with wheels and brakes, Furman rowed 1500 miles (2,414 km) in 16 days in Bali
in 1991. Furman also developed the sport of gluggling, underwater juggling, which he did for 48 minutes at Kelly Tarlton's Antarctic Encounter and Underwater World in Auckland
, New Zealand
in 2002 and distance sack racing which Furman did for a mile while racing against a yak
in Mongolia
in 2007. On January 30, 2008, Furman unveiled his giant $20,000 pencil
- 76 feet (23.2 m) long, 22,000 pounds (with 4,000 solid pounds of Pennsylvania
graphite
). The pencil was built in three weeks as a birthday gift for teacher Sri Chinmoy
on 27 August 2007. Longer than the 65 feet (19.8 m) pencil outside the Malaysia HQ of stationers Faber-Castell
, it was transported from Queens, New York, to the City Museum in St. Louis.
131 Guinness records. He has set records on all seven continents and in more than 30 different countries. He has the official record for "The most current Guinness World Records held at the same time by an individual." (Marco Frigatti, Head of Records, Guinness Book of World Records)
Early life
Ashrita Furman (born Keith Furman) was born in BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 1954, the same year the Guinness Book of Records was conceived and the year Roger Bannister
Roger Bannister
Sir Roger Gilbert Bannister, CBE is an English former athlete best known for running the first recorded mile in less than 4 minutes...
broke the 4-minute mile. Furman was fascinated with the Guinness Book of World Records as a child but never thought he could ever break a record, since he was very nonathletic. He grew up in the Kew Gardens Hills
Kew Gardens Hills, Queens
Kew Gardens Hills, also sometimes incorrectly referred to as Kew Garden Hills, is a one-square mile sub-neighborhood of Flushing in the New York City borough of Queens. The western border is Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, on the north is Jewel Avenue, on the south is Union Turnpike and to the east...
neighborhood in Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, and attended Jamaica High School.
That all changed when, as a teenager, Furman became interested in spirituality
Spirituality
Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
and in 1970 became a devout follower of the mystic Sri Chinmoy
Sri Chinmoy
Chinmoy Kumar Ghose, also known as Sri Chinmoy was an Indian spiritual teacher, poet, artist and athlete who immigrated to the U.S. in 1964., the founder of the religious organization "Sri Chinmoy Centre Church, Inc." better known as "Sri Chinmoy Centre"...
. Chinmoy inspired Furman to participate in a 24-hour bicycle race in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
in 1978. With only two weeks' training, Furman tied for third place, cycling 405 miles (651.8 km). He later described the experience, “It was one of the most profound moments of my life. As I climbed off my bicycle, I realized that it wasn't my body that had cycled for 24 hours, but my inner Spirit. By using meditation I was able to connect with an inexhaustible energy which we all have but rarely use. At that moment I decided to attempt breaking Guinness records to inspire others to connect with their own indomitable inner strength.” Around this time, Furman changed his first name to Ashrita ('protected by God' in Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
).
First record
In 1979, Furman set his first official record by doing 27,000 jumping jackJumping Jack
A jumping jack , stride jump or star jump , also called side-straddle hop in the US military, is a physical jumping exercise performed by jumping to a position with the legs spread wide and the hands touching overhead and then returning to a position with the feet together and the arms at the sides...
s. In 1986, Furman invented and set the record for underwater pogo stick
Pogo stick
A pogo stick is a device for jumping off the ground in a standing position with the aid of a spring, used as a toy or exercise equipment. It consists of a pole with a handle at the top and footrests near the bottom, and a spring located somewhere along the pole...
jumping and introduced it on Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
on April Fools Day. That same year Furman began setting records at historic landmarks by doing forward rolls along the entire 12 ¼ mile route of Paul Revere's Ride in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
and jumping 11 ½ miles up and down the foothills of Mount Fuji
Mount Fuji
is the highest mountain in Japan at . An active stratovolcano that last erupted in 1707–08, Mount Fuji lies about south-west of Tokyo, and can be seen from there on a clear day. Mount Fuji's exceptionally symmetrical cone is a well-known symbol of Japan and it is frequently depicted in art and...
on a pogo stick.
Records around the world
Furman has managed a health food storeHealth food store
A health food store is a type of grocery store that primarily sells health food, organic foods, local produce, and often nutritional supplements...
in Jamaica
Jamaica, Queens
Jamaica is a neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York, United States. It was settled under Dutch rule in 1656 in New Netherland as Rustdorp. Under British rule, the Village of Jamaica became the center of the "Town of Jamaica"...
, Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
since 1982. He is also a tour conductor for his meditation group and is therefore able to travel extensively. Furman had set records in more than 30 countries and completed his goal of breaking a record in all 7 continents when he set the mile hula hoop
Hula hoop
A hula hoop is a toy hoop that is twirled around the waist, limbs or neck.Although the exact origins of hula hoops are unknown, children and adults around the world have played with hoops, twirling, rolling and throwing them throughout history...
record at Uluru
Uluru
Uluru , also known as Ayers Rock, is a large sandstone rock formation in the southern part of the Northern Territory, central Australia. It lies south west of the nearest large town, Alice Springs; by road. Kata Tjuta and Uluru are the two major features of the Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park....
(also known as Ayers Rock) in the Australian desert in 2003. Furman has also set records at such famous landmarks as the Egyptian pyramids
Egyptian pyramids
The Egyptian pyramids are ancient pyramid-shaped masonry structures located in Egypt.There are 138 pyramids discovered in Egypt as of 2008. Most were built as tombs for the country's Pharaohs and their consorts during the Old and Middle Kingdom periods.The earliest known Egyptian pyramids are found...
(distance pool cue balancing), Stonehenge
Stonehenge
Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about west of Amesbury and north of Salisbury. One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of a circular setting of large standing stones set within earthworks...
(standing on a Swiss ball
Swiss ball
An exercise ball is a ball constructed of soft elastic with a diameter of approximately 35 to 85 centimeters and filled with air. The air pressure is changed by removing a valve stem and either filling with air or letting the ball deflate...
), the Eiffel Tower
Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower is a puddle iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris. Built in 1889, it has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world...
(most sit ups in an hour), the Great Wall of China
Great Wall of China
The Great Wall of China is a series of stone and earthen fortifications in northern China, built originally to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire against intrusions by various nomadic groups...
(hopping on a kangaroo ball) and Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat is a temple complex at Angkor, Cambodia, built for the king Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre since its foundation – first Hindu,...
(jumping rope on a pogo stick). While in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Furman broke the record for running 8 km (5 mi) on stilts
Stilts
Stilts are poles, posts or pillars used to allow a person or structure to stand at a distance above the ground. Walking stilts are poles equipped with steps for the feet to stand on, or straps to attach them to the legs, for the purpose of walking while elevated above a normal height...
, a record which had stood since 1892.
Creating new records
Furman has also been a pioneer in setting records in several new activities including landrowing. Using a converted indoor rowerIndoor rower
An indoor rower, or rowing machine, is a machine used to simulate the action of watercraft rowing for the purpose of exercise or training for rowing. Indoor rowing has become established as a sport in its own right...
with wheels and brakes, Furman rowed 1500 miles (2,414 km) in 16 days in Bali
Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
in 1991. Furman also developed the sport of gluggling, underwater juggling, which he did for 48 minutes at Kelly Tarlton's Antarctic Encounter and Underwater World in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in 2002 and distance sack racing which Furman did for a mile while racing against a yak
Yak
The yak, Bos grunniens or Bos mutus, is a long-haired bovine found throughout the Himalayan region of south Central Asia, the Tibetan Plateau and as far north as Mongolia and Russia. In addition to a large domestic population, there is a small, vulnerable wild yak population...
in Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
in 2007. On January 30, 2008, Furman unveiled his giant $20,000 pencil
Pencil
A pencil is a writing implement or art medium usually constructed of a narrow, solid pigment core inside a protective casing. The case prevents the core from breaking, and also from marking the user’s hand during use....
- 76 feet (23.2 m) long, 22,000 pounds (with 4,000 solid pounds of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
graphite
Graphite
The mineral graphite is one of the allotropes of carbon. It was named by Abraham Gottlob Werner in 1789 from the Ancient Greek γράφω , "to draw/write", for its use in pencils, where it is commonly called lead . Unlike diamond , graphite is an electrical conductor, a semimetal...
). The pencil was built in three weeks as a birthday gift for teacher Sri Chinmoy
Sri Chinmoy
Chinmoy Kumar Ghose, also known as Sri Chinmoy was an Indian spiritual teacher, poet, artist and athlete who immigrated to the U.S. in 1964., the founder of the religious organization "Sri Chinmoy Centre Church, Inc." better known as "Sri Chinmoy Centre"...
on 27 August 2007. Longer than the 65 feet (19.8 m) pencil outside the Malaysia HQ of stationers Faber-Castell
Faber-Castell
Faber-Castell is one of the world's largest manufacturers of pens, pencils, other office supplies and art supplies, as well as high-end writing instruments and luxury leather goods...
, it was transported from Queens, New York, to the City Museum in St. Louis.
Some of Ashrita's Recent Records
| Record Number | Event | Record | Location and Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 283 | Juggling on a Pogo Stick, furthest distance | 4 mi, 30 ft | Easter Island, January 2010 |
| 300 | Underwater Juggling, longest duration | 1 hr 19 min 58 sec | New York, March 2010 |
| 303 | Balancing Eggs on End, most simultaneously | 888 | New York, June 2010 |
| 307 | Piggyback Running, fastest mile | 12 min 47 sec | New York, July 2010 |
| 311 | Kangaroo Ball Racing, fastest mile | 13:00 min | New York, August 2010 |