A French Man’s Attempt to Break the World Record for Tallest Matchstick Sculpture Foiled by Guinness Officials
A French man’s ambitious dream of constructing the tallest matchstick sculpture has been shattered due to the technicalities of the Guinness Book of World Records. Richard Plaud, a council worker for a local authority, dedicated eight years to painstakingly create a 23.6-foot replica of the Eiffel Tower using 706,900 matchsticks and over 50 pounds of glue. However, his efforts fell short of the record due to the claim that he used matchsticks that were not commercially available and not considered as recognized matchsticks by Guinness.
Mismatched Matchsticks Lead to Disqualification
Plaud, disheartened by the disqualification, expressed his disappointment and puzzlement. Guinness Book officials informed him that the matchsticks used were unrecognizable and had been cut, disassembled, or distorted beyond recognition. Placing his frustration on a Facebook page, Plaud shares, “Tell me that the 706,900 rods stuck one by one are not matches!? And they are too cut to the point of being unrecognizable!?”
Hope for Review Arises
Despite the disqualification, Plaud’s matchstick structure still stands tall, as does his record-breaking attempt. Mark McKinley, the director of Guinness’ central records services, believes the judges may have been too hasty in ruling out Plaud’s creation. In an interview with NBC News, McKinley states, “We might have been a little heavy-handed…We will make contact with the record holder again as well as review rules for similar records as a priority, to see what can be done.”
An Aspiring Childhood Dream Falling into Place
Plaud, driven by a childhood dream, embarked on this record-breaking journey in December 2015. The French newspaper, Le Parisien, reports that Plaud meticulously constructed the tower, match by match, committing himself to surpassing the height of the 2009 record holder. Initially frustrated with the process of individually removing the sulfur heads of each store-bought match, Plaud later struck a deal with a manufacturer, receiving 33-pound boxes of headless matches. However, this convenience came with a cost, as these specific matches were not accessible to the general public, ultimately leading to the dispute with Guinness officials.
Tower Completion on a Memorable Day
Plaud triumphantly completed his extraordinary project on December 27, 2023. Notably, this date marks the 100th anniversary of the French civil engineer, Gustave Eiffel’s death. Eiffel’s legacy lives on through the iconic Paris tower that bears his name.
