Meet Joshua Kiser, a 24-year-old student from the USA who set out to break a world record—and succeeded spectacularly! His ambitious journey culminated in the creation of the world’s tallest hat, measuring an astonishing 5.422 meters (17 ft 9.5 in)!
Joshua’s adventure began in 2020 when the pandemic forced university closures. Looking for a productive way to spend his time while cooped up at home, he decided to pursue a world record. “I thought, ‘Hey, this will be a great way to feel productive during my free time,’” he recalls. While browsing the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS website for inspiration, he stumbled upon a picture of Odilon Ozare, the previous record holder, sporting a towering top hat that stood 4.8 meters (15 ft 9 in) tall.
“That image stuck with me,” Joshua said. Excited by the idea, he shut his laptop and immediately began searching for materials to create his own giant hat, convinced he would have his name in the history books in no time.
However, reality quickly set in. Joshua’s first attempt was, in his words, an “utter failure.” He realized that designing and creating a massive hat was much more challenging than he had anticipated.
“Each time, my strategy was to build a frame, secure it to my head, and then cover it with material,” he explained. “Three steps, not so bad,” he thought, but each attempt left him frustrated. After a lackluster second try, he temporarily set aside his project when he returned to school, leaving the materials at his parents’ house.
But inspiration struck again during a trip home when he came up with the idea of using chicken wire, fashioning it into a tall cone shape. Unfortunately, that attempt also fell short of his expectations.
Just when Joshua was on the verge of giving up, he had a “light bulb moment” while shopping at Home Depot. “The clouds opened up and rays of sunshine were streaming down on the 10-ft long aluminum gutters,” he joked. These gutters were light, sturdy, and affordable, perfect for a college student who had already invested much more money into this project than he had anticipated. He bought two and got to work.
Joshua’s innovative approach finally paid off, leading him to create the towering hat he envisioned.
Once the hat was complete, there was one final challenge: walking 10 meters while wearing it. This proved to be quite the feat, considering the hat weighed a hefty 26.4 lb (11.975 kg). Undeterred, Joshua headed to a nearby park to attempt the record.
“Once the hat was on, I took my hands off and started walking slowly. The hat stayed on my head the entire 10 m, without touching it with my hands or any straps,” he recounted with a sense of triumph. “I did it! Success!”
With that simple yet monumental walk in the park, Joshua officially claimed the title for the world’s tallest hat. His persistence and creativity turned a quirky dream into reality, and his achievement is a testament to the power of determination and ingenuity.
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