world record

The Tallest Structure In The United States Is A TV Antenna

The KVLY Television Tower, located in Blanchard, North Dakota is the tallest structure in the United States. It is also the tallest structure in the Western Hemisphere and the fourth tallest in the World (beaten by the Burj Khalifa, Tokyo Skytree and Shanghai Tower). It tops in at 2,063 feet (628.8 m) tall. Just a few miles away is the fifth tallest structure in the world, the 2,060 ft (628 m) KRDK Television Tower.

If you’re interested in what it might be like to climb to the top of one of these towers, check out this video.

KVLY-TV Mast Tower Wide.jpgImage via Wikimedia

Amazing Grace On The Matryomin Sounds Strangely Wonderful

A matryomin is an unusual instrument. It’s a cross between a miniature, pitch-only, theremin and a matryoshka doll (a Russian nesting doll). The instrument has a cult following in Japan.

This video shows a matryomin ensemble called “Da” at the auditorium of Jiyugakuen Myonichikan in Tokyo on 22 Jan. 2011. The ensemble consisted of 167 musicians playing Amazing Grace. It sounds wonderful – in a strangely creepy sort of way.

Recently the ensemble group Da broke a world record for the “Largest Matryomin Ensemble” by gathering over 277 musicians in concert.

via youtube

Here is a link to the mp3 if you want it: Amazing Grace by Da

McNamara Breaks His Own Record By Surfing Terrifying 100 Foot Wave

100 Foot Wave

Last week Garrett McNamara broke his own record by surfing a 100 foot wave off the coast of Nazaré, Portugal. Garrett is that tiny speck seen in the terrifying photograph above.

Forty five year old Garrett doesn’t seem too sure about the validation of the record because the wave never actually broke. It lurched, capped, feathered – and then backed off. It never fell forward. He is quoted as saying, “How do you measure a wave? I don’t know who measures ’em. I don’t know how. All I know is that I love surfing and I love sharing what we do and learning and experiencing new things. And a bunch of the waves ridden on Monday were bigger than the one I rode last November.”

Regardless of whether or not it’s a new record, the man is insane.

Surf Is Waaaaaaay Up

Garrett McNamara recently broke the world record for largest wave ever surfed. McNamara was towed into a 90-foot wall of watery death at Praia do Norte, Nazare, on the southern shores of Portugal. The previous record of 77 feet was set by Mike Parsons in 2008.

Gnarly!

And in case you were wondering, the biggest wave ever recorded by scientists measured 1,720 feet in height and killed two fishermen as it slammed down into Lituya Bay, a fjord located on the coast of Alaska on July 9 1958.

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