More than 1,600 students, staff and community members got together for a common goal, and smashed a world record.
They said it couldn’t be done. They said temperatures in the single digits meant the snow on Michigan Technological University's Sherman Field would not be wet enough to build one snowman, let alone 2,036. They said the attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the most snowmen built in one hour would fail.
They were wrong. Boy, were they wrong. Snowman Left Behind, sponsored by Michigan Tech’s Undergraduate Student Government and the Memorial Union Board, drew 1,678 participants—including 261 under the age of 18—to break the record set in Japan in 2015.
And they may have done it.
True, in the single-digit weather the snow wasn’t as packable as it would have been at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Further complicating matters the rules prohibit watering down the snow. Participants could only use their hands (no tools) and no advanced preparation was allowed. Thanks to some innovative construction techniques, such as relying on pressure rather than moisture and using naturally formed snow chunks, a total of 2,228 snowmen stood tall. Organizers are hoping that certification by Guiness will have them breaking the previous record by 192.
It took less than an hour to build the snowmen. "The event lasted for 55 minutes so that we could make sure we stayed within the time limit,” said John Nowosad, USG events chair, noting that it took more than twice the time to count the snowmen as it did to build them. “It took about two hours to count the snowmen. Alumni Dave Madden and Chris Nowak, Houghton City Manage Eric Waara and Professor Carl Blair were our independent witnesses and in charge of the snowman count. They also made sure we followed all the rules.”
Eligible snowmen had to be at least three feet high, with two arms, two eyes and a nose. USG provided wooden skewers for arms and biodegradable paintball pellets for the eyes and nose. About 30 volunteers were on site to help out. Four video cameras recorded the event for the Guinness documentation team.
Nowosad said Snowman Left Behind did much more than attempt to break a record. “This event was a great opportunity to bring the community together. We saw a very enthusiastic crowd on Sherman Field."
For sure, none of the snowmen would challenge Frosty in the looks department; while there were rigid construction guidelines, aesthetics were not a factor. The record-breaking attempt was all about the numbers—and organizers are optimistic they have them.
It will take several weeks if not months until it's verified, but hundreds left Sherman Field convinced they helped set a new world's record.
If confirmed, Saturday's attempt will mark the fourth time students and community members gathered to set a Guinness World Record. On Feb. 10, 2006, exactly 12 years to the day before Snowman Left Behind, Michigan Tech set three records: Largest Snowball Fight, Most People Making Snow Angels Simultaneously in a Single Venue and Largest Snowball. All three records were subsequently broken, but in 2013 Tech recaptured the Largest Snowball record and it still stands.
After accomplishing what many thought would be impossible, now comes perhaps the hardest part of all. Waiting for the record to be officially sanctioned.
Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to more than 7,000 students from 55 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan’s flagship technological university offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.
Comments