WEDNESDAY 18 MARCH 2015, LONDON – The world’s most famous bubbleologist today entered the record books for an incredible tenth time as he pulled off his most spectacular world record yet.
Inspired by DreamWorks’ bubble-powered new animation 'Home', Samsam Bubbleman stunned witnesses at Jubilee Gardens beneath the London Eye as he produced the World’s Largest Free-Floating Bubble measuring a staggering 23.3 cubic metres, the size of two family cars or 150,000 tennis balls.
Inspired by DreamWorks’ bubble-powered new animation 'Home', Samsam Bubbleman stunned witnesses at Jubilee Gardens beneath the London Eye as he produced the World’s Largest Free-Floating Bubble measuring a staggering 23.3 cubic metres, the size of two family cars or 150,000 tennis balls.
This milestone Guinness World Record™ was staged to celebrate the theatrical release of Home, out this Friday. The film, which features an all-star voice-cast including Jim Parsons, Rihanna, Steve Martin and Jennifer Lopez, brings to life the loveable Boov, whose technology is based entirely on bubbles, with everything in their fantastical world being spherical.
The record-breaking bubble, which was verified by Guinness following complex 3D measurements and chartered surveyor calculations, beat the previous record set in Massachusetts in 2013 by over 2.5m³.
The record-breaking bubble, which was verified by Guinness following complex 3D measurements and chartered surveyor calculations, beat the previous record set in Massachusetts in 2013 by over 2.5m³.
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“I am thrilled to be honoured with my tenth Guinness World Record™,” says Samsam Bubbleman, from Seven Sisters, London. “It has been my most challenging record yet with a number of crucial elements coming together – the equipment, my top secret bubble solution, weather conditions and most importantly what I call my ‘inner bubble’. I needed to approach a near meditative state to create this bubble – closing my eyes, deep breaths and incredible concentration and patience.”
He adds, “I have been inspired by the film Home not just because of its hugely inventive use of bubbles, which are present in almost every scene, but also its incredibly vibrant use of colour. I’ve always described what I do as bringing colour to the wind. You can’t blow an ugly bubble and although I often get caught up in the joy of the moment of creation just to stop and watch the incredible colours moving around on the surface of that floating weightless sphere creates such wonderment.”
He adds, “I have been inspired by the film Home not just because of its hugely inventive use of bubbles, which are present in almost every scene, but also its incredibly vibrant use of colour. I’ve always described what I do as bringing colour to the wind. You can’t blow an ugly bubble and although I often get caught up in the joy of the moment of creation just to stop and watch the incredible colours moving around on the surface of that floating weightless sphere creates such wonderment.”
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Samsam, who performed at the 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony and has ‘bubbled’ for the likes of Shakira, The British Royal Family, and JK Rowling, has practiced the art of bubble making for 25 years and his other Guinness World Records™ have included Most People Inside a Bubble, Most Bubbles Inside a Bubble, Longest Bubble Chain and Largest Frozen Bubble.
For his tenth World Record he was accompanied by the character Oh from 'Home', as well as children from Sylvia Young Agency who helped with the measurements.
'HOME' will be released in cinemas across the UK on Friday 20th March 2015.
For his tenth World Record he was accompanied by the character Oh from 'Home', as well as children from Sylvia Young Agency who helped with the measurements.
'HOME' will be released in cinemas across the UK on Friday 20th March 2015.
About 'Home'
When Oh (Jim Parsons), a loveable misfit from another planet, lands on Earth and finds himself on the run from his own people, he forms an unlikely friendship with an adventurous girl named Tip (Rihanna) who is on a quest of her own. Through a series of comic adventures with Tip, Oh comes to understand that being different and making mistakes is all part of being human. And while he changes her planet and she changes his world, they discover the true meaning of the word HOME.
Based upon the novel The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex, 'HOME' features an all-star voice cast including Jim Parsons, Rihanna, Steve Martin and Jennifer Lopez. Directed by Tim Johnson (Over the Hedge; Antz), 'HOME' will be released in cinemas across the UK on Friday 20th March 2015.
When Oh (Jim Parsons), a loveable misfit from another planet, lands on Earth and finds himself on the run from his own people, he forms an unlikely friendship with an adventurous girl named Tip (Rihanna) who is on a quest of her own. Through a series of comic adventures with Tip, Oh comes to understand that being different and making mistakes is all part of being human. And while he changes her planet and she changes his world, they discover the true meaning of the word HOME.
Based upon the novel The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex, 'HOME' features an all-star voice cast including Jim Parsons, Rihanna, Steve Martin and Jennifer Lopez. Directed by Tim Johnson (Over the Hedge; Antz), 'HOME' will be released in cinemas across the UK on Friday 20th March 2015.
About Samsam Bubbleman
Samsam Bubbleman is the world’s most famous bubbleologist. He began bubbling way back in 1989 following his "bubble epiphany" whilst watching a bubble float across a field.
Bubbling became a hobby, learning tricks, collecting toys and experimenting with different mixes until the year 2000 when he set up Bubble Inc. to spread bubble magic across the world!
He has now broken 10 Guinness World Records, holds three Blue Peter badges and performs throughout the UK, Europe and the world - from London and Morocco to Indonesia and Bahrain. From wowing the crowds at the Grand Prix and celebrity events to creating special effects for films and pop videos, Samsam is the UK's most sought-after and creative bubbleologist.
www.bubbleinc.co.uk
Samsam Bubbleman is the world’s most famous bubbleologist. He began bubbling way back in 1989 following his "bubble epiphany" whilst watching a bubble float across a field.
Bubbling became a hobby, learning tricks, collecting toys and experimenting with different mixes until the year 2000 when he set up Bubble Inc. to spread bubble magic across the world!
He has now broken 10 Guinness World Records, holds three Blue Peter badges and performs throughout the UK, Europe and the world - from London and Morocco to Indonesia and Bahrain. From wowing the crowds at the Grand Prix and celebrity events to creating special effects for films and pop videos, Samsam is the UK's most sought-after and creative bubbleologist.
www.bubbleinc.co.uk
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After the World Record attempt had finished Lydia Kay took part in an interview with SamSam:
Lydia
What got you into bubbles in the first place?
SamSam
You know I always why other people didn't really. I mean is there anything more magical than a bubble, really? You know I see people juggling and doing circus tricks and that's cool, but I see a bubble and it just takes me to another place completely. My mind, my heart, my soul. It fires my imagination like nothing else really. It all started back in 1989, I had, um, what I call my bubble epiphany. I was sat in a field watching a bubble, about a football sized bubble, just float across my field of vision; and it was a beautiful sunset, lovely calm winds, I just watched the bubble for what seemed like half an hour but was actually probably only a couple of minutes. And then suddenly it pops, and it completely disappeared. Was it ever even there in the first place? What could be more magical than a bubble really?
Lydia
When I was younger I used to catch bubbles on the stick and then try to stack them in like a Jenga tower, so would you ever do a record to see how high a bubble tower you could create?
SamSam
I do have that record actually as it happens.
Lydia
Do you! How high is it?
SamSam
It's not high because to keep it high you really need to fill it with a mixture of helium and air. So what you do is you drop it downwards, so you hold it from the top, and I made a bubble chain of 26 bubbles which almost stretched down to the ground from about a 5 foot height.
Lydia
Yep, miles ahead of me!
So some children, and adults, like to run around popping bubbles. What are your views on people popping bubbles and has anyone ever popped a bubble that they shouldn't have?
SamSam
Well, you know what, it's very hard to get kids to not pop bubbles. It seems to me kids and bubbles go together quite closely I tell you. And I have various things up my sleeve to try and get them to stop popping my bubbles if I don't want them, including a water pistol that I find works quite well. Sometimes we play dodge-bubble, and the kids have to make sure they don't pop the bubble that time. And then I have other equipment like the net, which, did you see the net that I use which make huge clouds of bubbles, so those are really for popping. It's the big ones which I try, I really want them to survive.
Lydia
Has anyone tried to pop a World Record attempt before?
SamSam
Um, yep, when I put the most kids inside a giant bubble we had one naughty little child who kept reaching over to pop the inside of the bubble.
Lydia
Do you also like bubble-wrap?
SamSam
Not as much as my kids.
What got you into bubbles in the first place?
SamSam
You know I always why other people didn't really. I mean is there anything more magical than a bubble, really? You know I see people juggling and doing circus tricks and that's cool, but I see a bubble and it just takes me to another place completely. My mind, my heart, my soul. It fires my imagination like nothing else really. It all started back in 1989, I had, um, what I call my bubble epiphany. I was sat in a field watching a bubble, about a football sized bubble, just float across my field of vision; and it was a beautiful sunset, lovely calm winds, I just watched the bubble for what seemed like half an hour but was actually probably only a couple of minutes. And then suddenly it pops, and it completely disappeared. Was it ever even there in the first place? What could be more magical than a bubble really?
Lydia
When I was younger I used to catch bubbles on the stick and then try to stack them in like a Jenga tower, so would you ever do a record to see how high a bubble tower you could create?
SamSam
I do have that record actually as it happens.
Lydia
Do you! How high is it?
SamSam
It's not high because to keep it high you really need to fill it with a mixture of helium and air. So what you do is you drop it downwards, so you hold it from the top, and I made a bubble chain of 26 bubbles which almost stretched down to the ground from about a 5 foot height.
Lydia
Yep, miles ahead of me!
So some children, and adults, like to run around popping bubbles. What are your views on people popping bubbles and has anyone ever popped a bubble that they shouldn't have?
SamSam
Well, you know what, it's very hard to get kids to not pop bubbles. It seems to me kids and bubbles go together quite closely I tell you. And I have various things up my sleeve to try and get them to stop popping my bubbles if I don't want them, including a water pistol that I find works quite well. Sometimes we play dodge-bubble, and the kids have to make sure they don't pop the bubble that time. And then I have other equipment like the net, which, did you see the net that I use which make huge clouds of bubbles, so those are really for popping. It's the big ones which I try, I really want them to survive.
Lydia
Has anyone tried to pop a World Record attempt before?
SamSam
Um, yep, when I put the most kids inside a giant bubble we had one naughty little child who kept reaching over to pop the inside of the bubble.
Lydia
Do you also like bubble-wrap?
SamSam
Not as much as my kids.
You can listen to the rest of the interview here:
A few bubble facts!
- Bubbles are pockets of soap and water that are filled with air. When soap and water are mixed together and air is blown into the mixture, the soap forms a thin skin or wall and traps the air, creating a bubble.
- A Dictionary definition of a bubble is a gas encapsulated by a skin which makes footballs, balloons and humans all bubbles.
- The colours you see on the surface of a bubble are caused by an effect we call 'light interference' and denote the thickness of a bubble wall.
- Bubbles can get incredibly thin - at just a few microns thick they can be 100 times thinner than a piece of paper and probably the thinnest object most of us will ever see in our entire lives.
- Eifel Plasterer (USA) is recorded as the record holder for the longest lasting bubble - he made a bubble in the 1950's that lasted for nearly a year! He used a special gel-like solution and kept the bubble in a bell jar to avoid dust, evaporation and children.
- Bubbles are used and studied in such a wide variety of industries, from medicine to NASA, to architecture (see Otto Frei and the Beijing Olympic Swimming Pool building), speech therapists, insulation experts and energy companies.
- There's a huge amount of bubbles in nature - a variety of marine mammals use them to hunt including killer whales and others use them for their own entertainment.
- The sound created by crashing waves is the sound of a billion bubbles popping on the shore.
- Bubbles are currently being studied intensively in the medical community as a new super-efficient way of transporting drugs through the human body to the areas that need them instead of flooding them through the whole body. It is likely that this method will see bubbles being used to save lives in the future.
- Bubbles appear in the food that we eat on a daily basis - from the foam in our cappuccino to the texture of bread and cheese. Bubbles are everywhere.
Interview in association with The Fan Carpet.
