10 World Records You Didn't Know Are Held By People In Texas
By Kristen Lawrence|Updated on March 08, 2021(Originally published March 03, 2021)
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Kristen Lawrence
Author
Texas staff writer for Only in Your State, blogger for Power of Positivity, and freelance health, wellness, and travel writer. I spend any chance I get traveling, enjoying nature, trying out new recipes, and meditating. I love sharing smiles, good food, and great conversation :)
Throughout history, Texans have been known to accomplish some pretty amazing things, but those pale in comparison to these Texas world records. Below you’ll find 10 of the most epic world records — and they’re all held by proud Texans. These incredible records are true feats of human strength and fortitude, and epitomize the ambitious, “bigger is better” spirit of The Lone Star State.
They say everything's bigger in Texas, and that applies to our world-record breaking prowess, too. Here are 10 Texas world records that are truly remarkable:
Measuring almost 26 feet tall, Bryan Berg built this extraordinary free-standing house of cards at the 2007 Texas State Fair in Dallas. Amazingly, the cards were not glued to one another or held together in any way. Bryan also holds the record for the largest card playing structure, which he set in China in 2010. Impressive!
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2. Most barefoot marathons run on consecutive days (male)
Eddie Vilbar Vega set this impressive record, running 10 marathons across Oregon, California, and Texas between June 28 and July 7, 2014. We literally have no words for this incredible feat (or... feet).
During "America Recycles Week" in 2012, AT&T in Dallas collected a whopping 50,942 wireless devices over the course of the week, putting Texas at 12.4% of the total contribution of dead phones in the country. We even beat out California, which says a lot about Texans' commitment to being more eco-friendly!
While we couldn't find a picture of the actual record-breaking dessert, we still thought it should make this list. Back in 1999, the El Paso Diablos minor league baseball team decided to make a 50-foot-wide pecan pie that weighed just under 19 tons. Guinness spokesperson Sara Wilcox gave some more detail on just how much went into the making of this pie: "The crust was made from 3,471 lb of flour, 2,085 lbs of shortening, 170 lbs of sugar, 170 lbs of powdered milk and 3,000 lbs of water. The filling was made up of 1,500 lbs of pecans, 13,350 lbs of sugar, 850 lbs of margarine, 200 lbs of salt, 6,700 lbs of eggs, 210 lbs of vanilla [and] 9,700 lbs of corn syrup."
A pie that big could only be made right here in Texas... and we're guessing the team did some extra laps that day.
This picture doesn't do this record justice, because this is merely one gallon of salsa. The salsa that made history was just a little bit bigger, measuring 500 gallons and 2,672 pounds. Bob Blumer of the TV show " Glutton For Punishment" put together the bowl at the Annual Tomato Festival in Jacksonville in 2010 - and what better way to celebrate than turn those tomatoes into some delicious salsa that the entire state can enjoy from the same bowl? We do like our salsa here in Texas.
Puggy, a Pekingese from Bedford, officially has the longest tongue on a dog in the world, measuring 4.5 inches. We are not sure if Puggy has any competition, but if he does, no one has stepped up to the plate so far.
Yep, the fun little dance everyone throws into the music mix at parties became even more famous in El Paso in 2008, when 40,148 dancers participated in an event held by the Sun Bowl Association in Texas. The dance lasted all of 5 minutes 34 seconds, but that was enough time for history to be made.
Perhaps one of the most attempted tricks in the world, Joseph Odhiambo seems to have mastered the art of spinning a basketball on his finger, maintaining the spin for 4 hours and 15 minutes on one finger. He made it to the Guinness Books on February 19, 2006, during the NBA All-Star Jam Session in Houston. Way to go, Joe!
The edible, 39,201.8-cubic-foot gingerbread house built in Bryan, Texas in 2013 beat a previous world record for largest gingerbread house set by the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. The edible Texas house was located at the Traditions Golf Club near the club house, and was originally built as a fun way to raise money for St. Joseph hospital. It's not there anymore, but Texans can feel proud to hold such a unique record that also went toward a good cause. One cool fact about the house: The entire thing clocked in at a whopping 35,823,400 calories. So, eating a few bricks might put you in a food coma for a few days, but it would be well worth it!
At the State Fair of Texas back in 2012, Frito Lay and coordinators of the fair teamed up to serve the world's largest Frito Pie, straight out of a trough. This whopper was 635 bags of chips, 660 cans of chili, and 580 bags of shredded cheese -- a true culinary masterpiece. It officially weighed 1,325 pounds, and served 5,000 people, and was a pretty epic way to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Frito's classic corn chips.
If the thought of a 1,326-pound Frito Pie has you hungry, check out this footage of the epic, record-breaking event:
If there’s a way to make things bigger and better, you can bet that Texans will be the first to do it. Did you know about these Texas world records? Which one did you find most incredible?
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What are some of the craziest world records?
There are some truly bizarre world records out there; things that are not only feats of strength and stamina, but also the imagination. Some of these "quirkier" records include bottle flipping, gravy wrestling, and dinosaur flash mobs are just the tip of the iceberg. For instance, the farthest arrow shot using feet flew a total of 40 feet, 4.64 inches. The most toothpicks placed in a beard (?1) are 3,500. Getti Kehayova has the women's world record for the largest hula hoop spun; it measured 17 feet, 0.25 inches in diameter. And Louis Georgiou of the UK has the world's largest collection of Transformers memorabilia, with 2,111 items (and counting).
What are some fun facts about Texas?
If you're into fun Texas trivia, keep reading! Jalapeno pepper jelly (a Texas delicacy) originated in Lake Jackson, Texas, and was first sold commercially in 1978. The San Jacinto Monument in La Porte is the tallest stone column memorial structure in the world, measuring 15 feet taller than the Washington Monument. Oh, and the iconic Oscar statue? The Oscar statuette was actually named after Texan Oscar Pierce, whose niece worked for the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences in Hollywood.
What's it like living in Texas?
Living in Texas truly is the best, and here's why: our landscape is incredibly diverse (yes, you will see tumbleweeds rolling down dusty highways, but Texas is so much more than barren farmland!); we have no state income tax (hooray!); we have the very best barbecue in the country; we have the most insanely delicious ice cream to get us through the hot Texas summers; and, most importantly, the people in Texas have the biggest hearts. No door goes unopened for the person behind you, and no sentence ends without a courteous "Ma'am" or "Sir," or even the tip of a hat. And the greeting "hey y'all" is about as warm and welcoming as it gets.
