On Saturday night, junior Jon Coombs kneeled in front of a table that had more than 57 rubber bands> on it. He stretched his arms out before he got ready to place them on his head.\n“Time starts when I pick up the first rubber band,” Coombs said as the crowd chanted his name.\nDaft Punk’s> techno song ”One More Time”> began to play as Coombs picked up the first rubber band. Within seconds, he had multiple rubber bands placed over his hair.\nAs time ran out, the crowd got louder and began to stand up. When time ran out it was official: Coombs beat the previous world record for most rubber bands wrapped around someone’s head in one minute. He broke the previous record of 44 with a shattering new record of 57.\nAfter being congratulated by friends, Coombs pulled all 57 rubber bands, which left indents across his forehead, out of his hair. \n“It felt like hell,” Coombs said. “It hurts so bad. I was absolutely miserable.”\nCoombs said he was really nervous and thought the constant crowed cheering was going to make him even more nervous. As his adrenaline rushed in, he began to feel good, and the crowd cheering actually calmed him down, he said.\nAaron Waltke, a friend and coach of Coombs, broke the record for most T-shirts worn at once last year. Waltke was right beside Coombs throughout the entire minute.\nBoth record-breaking events were hosted by the sketch comedy group ”All Sorts of Trouble for the Boy in the Bubble”> in the State Room East of the Indiana Memorial Union.\nCoombs began practicing two weeks ago. Coombs attempted to beat the record twice before he unofficially beat the world record in practice. Saturday’s performance should become an official record after the Guinness World Records reviews the video tape.\nAllie Korosi, a co-worker with Coombs at the WIUX radio station, said she first heard of the event through Facebook. She said she initially thought it was a joke.\n“More people need to break records more often,” Korosi said as she laughed. “It’s fun to watch.”\nCoombs said he has no plans of breaking another world record. But it is something he has given a lot of thought to, and he hopes he will in the future, he said.\nCoombs and Waltke both said the best advice they could give to anyone attempting to break a record is to not be afraid to aim low and aim weird and to find a record that fits them physically.\n“Go for one that already exists,” Waltke said. “Anyone can make one up and be a record holder. To break one that already exists is to be part of a legacy.”
Junior stretches to break world rubber-band record
IU student fit 57 rubber bands on his face in 1 minute
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