Rubber band ball builder snaps up record

Building a huge ball out of more than 175,000 rubber bands is dangerous business. Really.

"The rubber bands ... sometimes they'll break. That hurts," said Steve Milton, whose 4,594-pound rubber band ball was certified Tuesday as the world's largest by Guinness World Records officials. "As long as you wear your safety goggles, you're good."

Milton, 26, of Eugene, Oregon, watched as four bodybuilders rolled the multicolored, rubbery mass -- 5.5 feet high and 19 feet around -- onto a giant scale in downtown Chicago for the official weigh-in.

He raised his arms over his head in Rockyesque style when Guinness judge Sarah Wagner announced his ball had bounced the previous 3,120-pound record-holder from the books. That record was set by John Bain of Wilmington, Delaware, in 2003.

"It's just amazing; it's out of this world," said Milton, who began building the ball in November 2005.

Bain didn't begrudge Milton the honor.

"Steve can have the record ... he worked hard for it," Bain said in an e-mail to The Associated Press. "I had my glory days with the rubber band ball."

It's a Record: 4,594-Lb Rubber Band Ball

Associated Press

Tue Nov 21

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