1 boat, 145 water skiers: A record-breaking stunt
Very odd things have been known to happen off the coast of Tasmania. This is one

The video: One 114-foot-long boat, two 1,550-horsepower engines, and 145 water skiers have broken the world record for the most skiers towed by a single vessel. The 145 skiers, ranging in age from 12 to 60, managed to stay upright for a nautical mile in Tasmania's Macquarie Harbour off the west coast of Australia. (Watch the implausible feat below.) A total of 154 skiers started the stunt, but nine didn't last long enough to make the record book. And while Guinness has yet to officially certify the record, the 145 should easily beat the previous record of 114 skiers set two years ago... by the same group.
The reaction: Impressive, says Rick Chandler at NBC Sports. But "my first question, of course, is why?" The group's motivation is "shrouded in mystery." Come on, "there's something captivating about an attempt to break a previously set world record," says Matt Dellinger at CNN. And this tops the other water-skiing stunts we've seen — pyramids, Santas, and even "a water-skiing squirrel. Yawn." Watch history (probably) being made:
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Thai fish pie with crispy turmeric potatoes recipe
The Week Recommends Tasty twist on the Lancashire hot pot is given a golden glow
-
Palestine Action: protesters or terrorists?
Talking Point Damaging RAF equipment at Brize Norton blurs line between activism and sabotage, but proscription is a drastic step
-
Trump's strikes on Iran: a 'spectacular success'?
In Depth Military humiliations 'expose the brittleness' of Tehran's ageing regime, but risk reinforcing its commitment to its nuclear program