(Bill Gurstelle is guest blogging here on Boing Boing. He is the author of several books including Backyard Ballistics, and the recently published Absinthe and Flamethrowers. Twitter: @wmgurst)
Bullwhip artist Robert Dante brings the spirit of Indiana Jones to life on the steps of the Natural History Museum in London on Thursday, June 11.
Dressed as the whip-wielding archeologist, Dante will attempt to break his own Guinness World Record for “Most bullwhip cracks in one minute.” … Dante is billed as “the real Indiana Jones” because of his expertise with bullwhips, which feature prominently in the four Indiana Jones films.
Since 2003, Dante has set three Guinness World Records, with his most recent attempt in October 2008 resulting in 254 whip cracks in 60 seconds.
Robert is the fellow who taught me how to crack a whip. He’s no young whipper-snapper but he’s awfully good. Here’s what 250 beats per minute sounds like. Just imagine doing that with bull whips instead of drum sticks!
Part of my intent for Absinthe and Flamethrowers was to survey a wide variety of “Golden Third dangerous activities” and provide enough information for readers to try them out and learn the art of living dangerously. But for those wanting to delve deeper into whip handling, see Robert’s book: “Let’s Get Cracking! the How-To Book of Bullwhip Skills”