The Popcorn Stand: This story is blimp worthy

In the latest installment of the human mind is amazing — as far as it what comes up with — a water skier has broken a record for traveling the longest distance while being pulled by a blimp.

I don’t know who wakes up in the morning and says, “I’ll set the world record for longest distance water skiing while being pulled by a blimp,” but I guess Kari McCollum did. Guinness World Records confirmed the California water skier broke the world record for longest distance water skiing while being pulled by a blimp at 6.9 miles.

Now as I’ve written about these types of records before I would have though the previous record would be like, zero. But McCollum bested the previous record, which was actually just under 5 miles. But there’s more.

The sponsors (there were actually sponsors for this?) had hoped McCollum would set the world record for the fastest text sent by someone water skiing behind a blimp. But alas, the Guinness people said the speed of McCollum’s text wasn’t fast enough. So you mean you’re telling me someone has actually sent a faster text than McCollum while water skiing behind a blimp? No word if the sponsors are pulling their sponsorship of McCollum after this major disappointment.

But that’s not all. There was also going to be an attempt to set the world record for the most people water skiing while being pulled by a blimp, but the effort was called off due to the weather.

Actually when I think about it what McCollum did was amazing. I’ve water skied a few times in my life and I don’t know how long I lasted on the skis, but I can assure you it was well shy of 6.9 miles. My guess is I lasted a few hundred feet, I don’t know.

So for someone to stand upright on water skies from basically seven miles, That’s Incredible.

John Davidson would’ve been proud (look it up, Millennials).

— Charles Whisnand