Indiana Holds Paint Ball Record

[Sojourner]

Man's paint ball is world's largest


Associated Press
July 1, 2004


ALEXANDRIA, Ind. -- A 1,300-pound ball of paint that hangs in a shed in Alexandria has been accepted into the Guinness Book of World Records.

Guinness researchers examined an 18-inch core sample from the ball, showing thousands of layers of paint, before accepting it as a record for the world's largest ball of paint.

"Our research team decided that, what was most impressive and had to be quantified, were the actual layers of paint," said Jerramy Fine, records researcher for Guinness World Records.

The feat will be published in the next edition of the book, a spokeswoman for Guinness in London said on Thursday.

For the past 27 years, Mike Carmichael has been painting a baseball that hangs in a shed behind his home. It now weighs 1,300 pounds, is more than 35 inches in diameter and has a 111-inch circumference due to more than 18,000 layers of paint.

"My next goal is to reach the 20,000-coat mark," Carmichael said.

The ball has drawn attention to the town about 30 miles northeast of Indianapolis. A documentary filmmaker is working on a planned movie about Carmichael's effort to turn the ball of paint into a tourist attraction.

[Sojourner]

[quote]The ball has drawn attention to the town about 30 miles northeast of Indianapolis. A documentary filmmaker is working on a planned movie about Carmichael's effort to turn the ball of paint into a tourist attraction.[/quote]

OK, now be honest. Who would go out of their way to see a giant ball of paint is some guy's garage? Maybe I'm wrong here, but I fail to see how that's a "tourist attraction".

[MorphRC]

Lol Okkkkkkkkkkkkk This reminds of a guy who had a massive ball of rubber bands, they dropped it from something like 5000 ft, lefts a 5metre hole in the ground...

[ilovechrist]

i like going paintballing, being a sniper, and nailing people in the back when they least expect it...

[Sojourner]

[quote name='ilovechrist' date='Jul 1 2004, 01:51 PM'] i like going paintballing, being a sniper, and nailing people in the back when they least expect it... [/quote]
Totally different kind of paint ball. But yeah, that's fun.

[ilovechrist]

yeah we aren't allowed to shoot that heavy a paintball at somebody.. shucks

[dUSt]

I once started a foil ball. Pee Wee was a genius.

[Sojourner]

I tried doing a rubber band ball, but I lost interest early on. No way could I do something like this for 27 years. No way.

[Mickey's_Girl]

[quote name='Sojourner' date='Jul 1 2004, 11:40 AM']
[/quote]
Yay! I read about that guy a while ago; I'm so glad he made his goal to get in Guinness.

[quote]OK, now be honest. Who would go out of their way to see a giant ball of paint is some guy's garage? Maybe I'm wrong here, but I fail to see how that's a "tourist attraction".[/quote]

Oh, come ON Sojourner! Girl, you know there's NOTHING TO SEE in Alexandria but this paint ball! Besides, from the perspective of someone who used to work in tourism, I can tell you that there is nothing so cheesy that people won't go see it, particularly if it's well-marketed. (So, like, the garage itself might not be enough, but if he turned his farm into a petting-zoo-with-country-restaurant and had a souvenir shop selling t-shirts, mini-replicas, and clever bumper stickers, it could definitely fly.)

Also, doesn't it have a sort of Gen-X Douglas Coupland irony to it? I mean, I *SO* would have made a road trip just to see that when I was in college. How geek-chic would it be to have a picture with a couple of friends and the world's largest paintball?

:rotfl:

MG

[Mickey's_Girl]

[quote name='Sojourner' date='Jul 1 2004, 02:11 PM'] I tried doing a rubber band ball, but I lost interest early on. No way could I do something like this for 27 years. No way. [/quote]
LOL! Again, I say, it's ALEXANDRIA! There's nothing else to do!!

Besides, he probably just made it a morning chore, you know? Milk the cows, feed the chickens, slap some paint on the paintball.

Yeah, I think the documentary film would be totally cool. He needs a marketing person to co-incide with the release of the film.

(Yeah, I see that I messed up the "quote" function on my previous post, but I'm too lazy to change it.)

MG

[Sojourner]

[quote name='Mickey's_Girl' date='Jul 1 2004, 02:15 PM'] Oh, come ON Sojourner! Girl, you know there's NOTHING TO SEE in Alexandria but this paint ball! Besides, from the perspective of someone who used to work in tourism, I can tell you that there is nothing so cheesy that people won't go see it, particularly if it's well-marketed. (So, like, the garage itself might not be enough, but if he turned his farm into a petting-zoo-with-country-restaurant and had a souvenir shop selling t-shirts, mini-replicas, and clever bumper stickers, it could definitely fly.)

Also, doesn't it have a sort of Gen-X Douglas Coupland irony to it? I mean, I *SO* would have made a road trip just to see that when I was in college. How geek-chic would it be to have a picture with a couple of friends and the world's largest paintball?

:rotfl:

MG [/quote]
"When you were in college" Whatever!! You're going to stop on the way when you come visit me, aren't you!!

OK, I concede that a few bored college kids might go visit it, but that doesn't make it a "tourist attraction." When I was in college I would've done that too, but then again, I was also going to places like Pigland and Matthews for fun.

BTW, for those who want to see a pic, [url="http://www.ballofpaint.freehosting.net/"]Mr. Carmichael has a Web site. [/url]

[Mickey's_Girl]

Hee hee...well, I *might* make a stop...



In any case, I'm telling you, the only difference between Carhenge and a Paint Ball is marketing. Also, he will need to have either a cross-section or a core sample for people to look at...a big red ball of paint is dull, but 18k+ different layers is far more interesting (as roadside attractions go).

Yeah, it will go nowhere if Mr. Carmichael stays as-is. He needs to "create a destination" as they say in the industry.

Also, it might help if he could get on Conan O'Brien. Or even Dave Letterman, who might be sympathetic because of his Hoosier roots.

(Hmm, maybe I should do tourism marketing for a living?)

MG

[curtins]

people have too much time on their hands these days

[Rebirth flame]

[quote name='Sojourner' date='Jul 1 2004, 12:38 PM'] Man's paint ball is world's largest


Associated Press
July 1, 2004


ALEXANDRIA, Ind. -- A 1,300-pound ball of paint that hangs in a shed in Alexandria has been accepted into the Guinness Book of World Records.

Guinness researchers examined an 18-inch core sample from the ball, showing thousands of layers of paint, before accepting it as a record for the world's largest ball of paint.

"Our research team decided that, what was most impressive and had to be quantified, were the actual layers of paint," said Jerramy Fine, records researcher for Guinness World Records.

The feat will be published in the next edition of the book, a spokeswoman for Guinness in London said on Thursday.

For the past 27 years, Mike Carmichael has been painting a baseball that hangs in a shed behind his home. It now weighs 1,300 pounds, is more than 35 inches in diameter and has a 111-inch circumference due to more than 18,000 layers of paint.

"My next goal is to reach the 20,000-coat mark," Carmichael said.

The ball has drawn attention to the town about 30 miles northeast of Indianapolis. A documentary filmmaker is working on a planned movie about Carmichael's effort to turn the ball of paint into a tourist attraction. [/quote]
...only in indiana... wow...

(i should know, i live here...)

[Mickey's_Girl]

Indiana RULES!!!

MG