Man Sets Record for Slicing Most Watermelons in Half on His Stomach

Ashrita Furman, who holds more Guinness World Records than anyone, attempts to set a new record for slicing the most watermelons in half on his own stomach in one minute in New York City, US, July 17, 2018. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
Ashrita Furman, who holds more Guinness World Records than anyone, attempts to set a new record for slicing the most watermelons in half on his own stomach in one minute in New York City, US, July 17, 2018. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
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Man Sets Record for Slicing Most Watermelons in Half on His Stomach

Ashrita Furman, who holds more Guinness World Records than anyone, attempts to set a new record for slicing the most watermelons in half on his own stomach in one minute in New York City, US, July 17, 2018. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
Ashrita Furman, who holds more Guinness World Records than anyone, attempts to set a new record for slicing the most watermelons in half on his own stomach in one minute in New York City, US, July 17, 2018. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

A man who holds more Guinness World Records than anyone set a new record Tuesday for slicing the most watermelons in half on his stomach in 60 seconds.

Ashrita Furman, with people surrounding him to assist in passing watermelons onto his stomach, sliced through 26 of them in just one minute, which broke the record by at least six, Reuters reported.

“It went really well,” said Furman. “My first reaction is I’m relieved that I didn’t kill myself, and the second is I’m exhilarated because it not only is a skillful record, but also it’s something that I invented and now it’s out there and other people can challenge it.”

Furman had previously set a record for slicing melons on a friend’s stomach, but this time decided to take all the risk upon himself.

“They came up with the rules and said I had to [slice] at least 20 watermelons, which I thought was actually a little high — because I thought 15 would be safe, but 20 was pushing it a little — and fortunately we had a good team and everything worked well.”

Acknowledging the obvious element of danger involved in swinging a very sharp sword in the direction of one’s own stomach, Furman said controlling the danger involved a combination of proper aim and just the right level of strength.

“As it went along I [had] to sort of regulate how hard I hit blade, and so doing that but trying to be very conscious of where the blade was and I noticed at one or two points it was getting very close to my arms, so I had to make an adjustment,” said Furman.

There were also a couple points where I didn’t go all the way through the watermelon,” said Furman. “So I had to start using a little more strength to cut through.”

Furman believes he has been recorded into the Guinness World Records book at least 750 times, he told Reuters.

Furthermore, the discarded pieces of melon are being donated to a local restaurant to make special juice drinks.



One Man Gored, 7 Others Bruised in Spain's Bull Running Festival

'Mozos' or runners take part in the second Running of the Bulls during the Sanfermines festival in Pamplona, Spain, 08 July 2025. The San Fermin festival runs until 14 July 2025. EPA/Daniel Fernandez
'Mozos' or runners take part in the second Running of the Bulls during the Sanfermines festival in Pamplona, Spain, 08 July 2025. The San Fermin festival runs until 14 July 2025. EPA/Daniel Fernandez
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One Man Gored, 7 Others Bruised in Spain's Bull Running Festival

'Mozos' or runners take part in the second Running of the Bulls during the Sanfermines festival in Pamplona, Spain, 08 July 2025. The San Fermin festival runs until 14 July 2025. EPA/Daniel Fernandez
'Mozos' or runners take part in the second Running of the Bulls during the Sanfermines festival in Pamplona, Spain, 08 July 2025. The San Fermin festival runs until 14 July 2025. EPA/Daniel Fernandez

A man was gored and seven others lightly injured on Tuesday, the second day of Pamplona's San Fermin festival in which thousands of people line the medieval city's narrow streets for the centuries-old tradition of running with bulls.

The man who was gored, identified only as being older than 25, was injured by a bull horn under his right armpit, a spokesperson for the city emergency services said.

"At this time, he is under observation but is in stable condition," she told reporters.

The seven others suffered bruises and contusions, some in the shoulder or head, Reuters reported.

In the festival's "encierros", or bull runs, fighting bulls are set loose in the streets and then race to reach the bullfight arena. Hundreds of aficionados, many wearing traditional white shirts with red scarves, run with them.

On Tuesday morning, one of the bulls stopped in the middle of his run, and charged the runners for several tense minutes.

The festival, which gained international fame from Ernest Hemingway's 1926 novel "The Sun Also Rises", lasts for one week in early July.

Participants are occasionally gored at the hundreds of such bull-running fiestas in Spain every year. Other injuries are common. At least 16 runners have lost their lives at the Pamplona festival down the years, the last in 2009.

As well as the morning bull runs and afternoon bullfights, the San Fermin festival features round-the-clock singing, dancing and drinking by revelers.
There are also religious events in honor of the saint.