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World burn record falls on Italian TV
(by Barbara Christian - March 03, 2010)
World burn record falls on Italian TV
By BARBARA CHRISTIAN
Stuntman Ted Batchelor successfully broke his Guinness World Record for full body burn before a live audience in Rome on Feb. 25. He surpassed his best by 19 seconds and could have gone longer if the flames had not begun to go out, he said.
Mr. Batchelor, of Bainbridge, dressed in layers of clothing and slathered with a secret formula of fire-retardant goo, stayed ablaze for 2 minutes and 57 seconds topping his 6-year-old record of 2 minutes and 38 seconds.
Mr. Batchelor said he was still on fire at the three-minute mark, but Guinness Record judge Marco Frigatti called the time when the flames began to die down. He said he suffered no burns even though he used more fuel than in any previous stunt.
He was able to prolong the flames this time by walking instead of running through his routine. He said he is certain he can top the three-minute mark and already is at work designing a suit that can hold more fuel.
Highlight of the burn were the expected small explosions that shot out of his suit. As his crew waited with fire extinguishers, Mr. Batchelor put himself out by diving into a large vat of water.
The stunt was done outside of Studio Spudi Elios in Rome with a live audience inside the studio watching from bleacher seats on large television screens, Mr. Batchelor said.
Perhaps his biggest thrill was being met by a wall of cheers when he burst through the studio doors still smoldering.
As it turned out, Mr. Batchelor's fire stunt was the grand finale of a two-hour show that featured 17 record-holding performers.
"What we didn't know until we got to Italy was that we were the big act, and it would not have been fun if we had failed and since they were footing the bill," Mr. Batchelor said.
He was interviewed with the help of an interpreter after the stunt. Then the judge announced his record-breaking time, placed a medal around his neck and handed him the official Guinness certificate.
Mr. Batchelor said the event was comparatively stress-free because he was able to ship all of his gear and the secret ingredients for the retardant to Italy ahead of time. A producer was assigned to his stunt and everything was ready for him when he arrived.
If there was a "worst part" of his experience in Italy, Mr. Batchelor said it was the 14-hour "walk through" rehearsal on Tuesday prior to the Thursday show.
Mr. Batchelor said the show is a huge production. There were seven cameras trained on him during his stunt and they included angles from close-up to an aerial view.
Mr. Batchelor said he might be asked to repeat the slow burn for one or two other Guinness shows in London and China.
The London show could happen in a matter of two weeks, he said. It is being done as part of a promotion for release of the 2011 Guinness World Record Book in which his record-breaking stunt will be featured.
After the show was over and the audience was gone, Mr. Batchelor said he did a short burn for photos which will be used in promotion of the new edition.
In the same edition is the burn he organized and participated in to break the record of most people on fire at the same time. Held last September, it featured 17 "burners," including some who were first-time fire novices.
Mr. Batchelor said he would like to do the stunt in London if for no other reason but to have a chance to visit Guinness World Book headquarters.
Mr. Frigatti told him that an entire wall of the office's reception area is a larger than life picture of him engulfed in flames.
"I heard there was a picture at the Guinness office, but I had no idea it covered an entire wall," Mr. Batchelor said.
The Italian Guinness World Record television show in which he appears will air throughout Europe on March 27. Mr. Batchelor said he will receive a copy of the telecast and intends to share it with his crew and friends.
Mr. Batchelor said he also enjoyed watching the other Guinness record holders perform in Italy. Of 19 possible records by the 17 performances, 16 were broken, he said.
Mr. Batchelor said the events of the week would be unforgettable. The lobby of the hotel looked a bit like a three-ring circus with impromptu performances by some of the participants. There also was a small army of police present as Italian diplomats and dignitaries were meeting and a soccer match between Italy and Scotland was being contested.
"It was quite the scene," he said. "We had circus performers, police, dignitaries and soccer fans all in one place.
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